(Illustration of a conceptual radio telescope within a crater on the Moon / NASA / Vladimir Vustyansky)
NASA has decided to continue working on the largest filled aperture radio telescope in the solar system in a crater bowl on the far side of the moon.
It is expected that small rovers will work on its creation, and the telescope itself will investigate the processes that took place in the early Universe, according to the NASA.
The LCRT (Lunar Crater Radio Telescope) project was proposed in 2020 as part of the NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) program, which aims to support ideas and projects in the field of astrophysics, astronautics, rocket and satellite engineering
NIAC can be implemented over the next few decades and will have a great impact on the course of scientific and technological progress.
The project provides for the creation of a radio telescope on the far side of the Moon, where its operation would not be affected by noise and interference from the Earth and the Sun.
It is assumed that the diameter of the antenna will be one kilometer, it will be a wire mesh, over which the feed will be fixed on cables, and the robotic rovers DuAxel will work on the mission.
The working wavelength range of LCRT will be from ten to fifty meters and it will observe objects in the early Universe.
On April 8, 2021, NASA announced that the radio telescope project had successfully completed the first phase of work, which took 9 months, and won the right to proceed to the second phase, which is designed for two years.
As part of the second phase, the project team received 500,000 dollars to develop a work plan for the creation of a radio telescope, while they are not yet required to fully develop the technologies required for the project.
If the project manages to move into the third phase, then both NASA and various enterprises will be involved in the work to develop technologies.
If the project is eventually completed within the next decades, the LCRT will become the largest filled aperture radio telescope in the solar system.
Sources:
😃👍 Followed
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Good post thanks for follow me
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Good Morning
Interesting your post.
Many blessings and successes
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Great information good work 👍
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit