Radio astronomy with the Lunar Lander: opening up the last unexplored frequency regime
Marc Klein Wolt, Amin Aminaei, Philippe Zarka, Jan-Rutger Schrader,, Albert-Jan Boonstra, Heino Falcke

TL;DR
Placing a broadband radio antenna on the lunar South Pole enables groundbreaking studies of the early universe, space weather, and planetary radio emissions, leveraging the Moon's unique environment for sensitive low-frequency radio observations.
Contribution
This paper proposes using a lunar lander-based broadband antenna to explore the last unexplored radio frequency regime and conduct diverse scientific investigations on the Moon.
Findings
Potential to detect the 21 cm line from the early universe.
Ability to study space weather effects near Earth.
Feasibility of lunar radio science and background noise measurement.
Abstract
The active broadband (1 kHz-100 MHz) tripole antenna now envisaged to be placed on the European Lunar Lander located at the Lunar South Pole allows for sensitive measurements of the exosphere and ionosphere, and their interaction with the Earths magnetosphere, solar particles, wind and CMEs and studies of radio communication on the moon, that are essential for future lunar human and science exploration. In addition, the lunar South pole provides an excellent opportunity for radio astronomy. Placing a single radio antenna in an eternally dark crater or behind a mountain at the south (or north) pole would potentially provide perfect shielding from man-made radio interference (RFI), absence of ionospheric distortions, and high temperature and antenna gain stability that allows detection of the 21 cm wave emission from pristine hydrogen formed after the big bang and into the period where…
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