A Radio Telescope Is Now Scanning Deep Space From the Moon’s Far Side

gizmodo ^

[BenLurkin]

The instrument, called the Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer (NCLE), is located on Queqiao, a Chinese communications satellite that was launched in support of the Chang’e 4 mission, the first soft-landing and robotic mission to the lunar far side. NCLE was developed in the Netherlands by Radboud University, ASTRON, and ISISpace, along with support from Netherland’s Space Office.

Queqiao is currently located around 450,000 kilometers (280,000 miles) from Earth, and it’s positioned in a halo orbit that keeps the satellite in the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrange point (so the satellite stays behind the Moon from our perspective, never coming between Earth and Moon).

The NCLE should be able to detect super-faint radio signals, which it will do with its three 5-meter-long antennas, which work in the 80 kHz to 80 MHz radio frequency range, according to ISISpace, a dutch satellite manufacturer involved in the mission. Scientists are hoping to capture radio signals associated with the universe’s Dark Age—the period immediately following the Big Bang, before the birth of stars. Radio signals from this embryonic era are “considered to be the holy grail of cosmology,” according to ISISpace. These ancient signals are largely undetectable from Earth, as they’re blocked by our planet’s atmosphere. Radio data from the Dark Age could reveal new insights into the first stars and galaxies, as well as dark matter and dark energy, which are still poorly understood cosmological phenomena.

[Equine1952]

There has to be a Gary Larson cartoon for that headline, methinks.

[Bullish]

Oh crap, they’re trying to find Hillary’s E-mails?

[aquila48]

“developed in the Netherlands by Radboud University, ASTRON, and ISISpace”

Didn’t know ISIS had a space program!

[laplata]

Lol. And Larson could come up with one.

[OrangeHoof]

Oh crap, they’re trying to find Hillary’s E-mails?

Nah. They're looking for Adam Schiff's true parents.

[Waverunner]

A Radio Telescope Is Now Scanning Deep State From the Moon’s Far Side. or as it's known in DC The Schiff Alien Probe Hearing room.

[immadashell]

Oh crap, they’re trying to find Hillary’s E-mails?

Nah. They're looking for Adam Schiff's true parents.

And if they are really lucky they might find Bammy's birth certificate.

[Louis Foxwell]

What I want to know is, “How are they getting signals back to earth without sending through the moon?”

[Does so]

Messages could be relayed to Chinese satellites whose orbits are greater than Earth’s presence in space.

[jmcenanly]

There is a relay satellite orbiting LaGrange Point 2

[BenLurkin]

That’s a darn good question!

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[Vaquero]

is their a second satellite that transmits commands and results from earth to satellite.......whose communication is blocked by the moon

[Vaquero]

Searching for the Stuffing mines? Perhaps Natalie Portman can help?

[SunkenCiv]

About time. Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

[deadrock]

Finding her emails is easy, finding doing-something-about-it, not so much.

[immadashell]

There is a relay satellite orbiting LaGrange Point 2

Named Queqiao(sp?) I believe.

[immadashell]

The NCLE is the first observatory built by the Netherlands and China to conduct radio astronomy experiments while orbiting on the far side of the Moon. This location is considered ideal for such experiments since it is removed from any terrestrial radio interference. It is for this reason that Queqiao has had to act as a communications relay with the Chang’e-4 mission since radio signals cannot reach the far side of the Moon directly.

[Wuli]

I wish we could park the Hubble in such a lunar orbit.