CosmoCube satellite proposal aims to study the early universe

An international team of astronomers has proposed the CosmoCube, a suitcase-sized satellite designed to observe the early universe. The mission aims to detect the 21-centimeter line, a delicate signal from hydrogen atoms produced between the Big Bang and the cosmic dawn.

Observing these extremely low frequencies from Earth is currently impossible due to ionospheric interference and noise from telecommunications and FM radio. To bypass these obstacles, the CosmoCube would travel to the moon to use the lunar body as a shield. By orbiting the far side of the moon, the satellite would spend approximately 40 minutes of every two-hour orbit in a quiet zone, potentially collecting 1,000 hours of data over a two-year mission.