Astronomers have proposed a lunar orbit mission called CosmoCube to explore the early universe by tracking 21-centimetre radio emissions from neutral hydrogen, according to research published in Nature Astronomy. The mission targets the cosmic dark ages and cosmic dawn, periods that remain largely unmapped by existing observatories.
The cosmic dark ages span the era from recombination—roughly 400,000 years after the Big Bang at redshift z ≈ 1,000—to the formation of the first stars between 100 million and 300 million years after the Big Bang at redshift z ≈ 30 to 12. Studying diffuse neutral hydrogen across these intervals provides vital measurements for understanding dark matter and cosmic structure formation before early galaxies began reionization.
Mission Design and Orbit
Earth-based radio telescopes struggle to capture signals below approximately 45 MHz due to atmospheric effects and terrestrial radiofrequency interference. CosmoCube plans to operate in orbit around the far side of the Moon to bypass these atmospheric distortions and shield its instruments from Earth-generated radio noise. The research team noted that the mission could launch within a few years, aiming to collect baseline data before human-made radio signals increasingly contaminate the radio environment around the Moon.
Eloy de Lera Acedo of the University of Cambridge conceived the experiment and led the study alongside collaborators from the University of Portsmouth, RAL Space, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, and Arizona State University. The project received backing from the UK Space Agency and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
