Researchers are developing a mission to study the early universe by deploying a small satellite called CosmoCube into lunar orbit. The satellite will search for a radio signal known as the 21cm line, which is emitted by neutral hydrogen atoms in the cosmos. By observing how the wavelength of this signal has been stretched over time, scientists can estimate the physical temperature of gas during different cosmic epochs.
The research team, led by Prof Eloy de Lera Acedo from the University of Cambridge, aims to observe events spanning from approximately 380,000 years after the big bang through the emergence of the first stars and galaxies, and extending to roughly 1 billion years after the big bang. The 21cm signal essentially functions as a cosmic thermometer, and its characteristics may also reveal information about dark matter, one of the universe’s most mysterious components.
Previous attempts to detect the 21cm line using Earth-based instruments have encountered significant obstacles. The signal itself is weak, and human-made radio transmissions from FM broadcasts and aircraft communications create interference. Additionally, disturbances from the Earth’s ionosphere complicate observations. While researchers at the Edges radio telescope in Australia claim to have detected the 21cm line, their findings remain subject to scientific scrutiny.
By positioning the satellite on the far side of the moon, the mission should avoid many of these interference problems. The CosmoCube project is expected to last two years, with a projected launch date approximately five years from now. The estimated cost is just under £50m, and the project has already secured over £2m in funding from the UK Space Agency.
Phil Bull, a cosmology professor at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, affirmed the scientific value of the mission but cautioned that other lunar initiatives may achieve similar measurements first. He also warned that additional crewed missions to the moon could introduce the very radio interference the CosmoCube mission is designed to escape.
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