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The ����ý has received a funding boost from the UK Space Agency, after the success of a pilot project to develop a space mission that will place a small satellite in orbit around the Moon.

The pilot study focused on CosmoCube, a radio-cosmology mission that will explore the so-called Dark Ages of the Universe from a Moon-orbiting satellite. 

It was the first study in the University’s Space Mission Incubator, which saw science and engineering experts working together in real time to rapidly develop a design for the space mission. 

Professor David Bacon, Director of  the ����ý’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), said: “The aim of the CosmoCube project is to send a CubeSat to a really quiet spot in space, where the Moon is blocking radio frequency noise from Earth. Without the noise from Earth drowning out faint radio waves we are trying to measure from the distant Universe, we can hopefully learn a lot about the ancient cosmos."

Dr Lucinda King, Space Projects Manager at the ICG, added: “It’s using the quietest location in the Solar System available to us to have a sneak peek into the Universe’s past.

“And the benefit of CubeSats is they’re small and have the potential to ‘piggyback’ on other mission launches, so hopefully there are going to be lots of chances to send these missions up soon.”

The CosmoCube project has been awarded £1.5 million from the UK Space Agency. It is led by the University of Cambridge with the participation of the ����ý and RAL Space.

The ����ý team will build on the mission architecture developed in the pilot study and work towards designing each part of the mission’s system in meticulous detail. 

They’ll also team up with experts at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to make improvements to the design, and to explore whether additional payloads could be added to CosmoCube to increase the value of the mission. This partnership will also ensure that the system design is compatible with future lunar constellations of smallsats currently under consideration by JPL.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “These projects present an opportunity for UK science to make crucial contributions to ground-breaking global missions that will deepen our understanding of the Moon and our neighbouring planets. 

“This funding, which builds on previous early-stage awards, will help catalyse international investment into the UK space sector and highlights the value we place on sharing knowledge and expertise with our counterparts overseas to break the boundaries of space exploration. 

The Global Space and Technology Convention in Singapore is the ideal setting to share this news and showcase the benefits of expanding our work with global partners.”