The PRATUSH mission has been designed to detect faint radio signals from hydrogen atoms, unlocking secrets from the earliest era of the universe.
PRATUSH is a space payload concept that plans to orbit the far side of the Moon, the quietest radio environment in the inner Solar System. This unique location is free from Earth’s radio noise and ionospheric distortions, making it an ideal place to capture signals.
A radiometer onboard will attempt to detect the elusive 21-centimetre radio signal emitted by hydrogen atoms. These signals, also known as whispers from the Cosmic Dawn, are normally drowned out by strong interference on Earth.
At the centre of the system is a compact single-board computer based on Raspberry Pi technology. This acts as the master controller for the radiometer’s antenna, analogue receiver, and data-processing FPGA chip. The small computer handles high-speed cosmic data acquisition, coordinates all components, carries out key calibrations, and ensures smooth operation. It achieves all this while meeting strict size, weight, and power requirements necessary for space missions.
PRATUSH performance tests have shown that this digital receiver system, powered by the minimalist single-board computer, achieves remarkable sensitivity. It reduces receiver noise to only a few millikelvins over hundreds of hours, making it possible to detect the faint signals from the Cosmic Dawn.
Planned improvements and the development of space-qualified hardware versions are expected to further increase precision and data reliability.
This innovative use of a low-power, high-capability computer significantly reduces system complexity and resource needs, making lunar orbit missions like PRATUSH more achievable.
By capturing and decoding the universe’s earliest radio signals, PRATUSH could reveal how the first stars shaped the cosmos and may even uncover new physics beyond existing theories.
In short, a tiny computer is set to lead one of humanity’s most ambitious missions, listening to the earliest signals of our universe from the quiet of lunar orbit.
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