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Scientific meeting

Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades

Scientific discussion meeting organised by Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Professor Ian Crawford, Dr Martin Elvis and Professor John Zarnecki.

  • 13 - 14 February 2023, 09:00 - 17:00
  • Free
Add to Calendar 02/13/23 09:00 AM 02/14/23 05:00 PM United Kingdom (GMT) Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades <p>Scientific discussion meeting organised by Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Professor Ian Crawford, Dr Martin Elvis and Professor John Zarnecki.</p> The Royal Society, London, SW1Y 5AG
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Overview

Scientific discussion meeting organised by Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Professor Ian Crawford, Dr Martin Elvis and Professor John Zarnecki.

This meeting discussed how low-frequency radio astronomy from the radio-shielded lunar far side can have a unique science impact on cosmology potentially at modest cost. The permanently shadowed lunar craters may offer advantages for passive cooling of infrared telescopes. This meeting examined these and other potential uses of the Moon as a platform for astronomical observations and the policy implications.

The schedule of talks and speaker biographies can be found below. A related journal issue has been published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. 

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Enquiries: contact the Scientific Programmes team.

Click watch on YouTube to view the full video playlist.

Observatory on the Moon
Observatory on the Moon. Credit: NASA

Organisers

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Joseph Silk is Homewood Research Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, researcher emeritus at Ins Institute of Astrophysics of Paris, (Sorbonne University and CNRS), and senior fellow, BIPAC, University of Oxford. He was previously Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of California at Berkeley, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford, and Professor of astrophysics at the Pierre and Marie Curie and Sorbonne universities. His research interests span dark matter, the formation of the galaxies, supermassive black holes and the cosmic microwave background. He is interested in science popularization and in developing lunar telescopes. He was awarded the 2011 Balzan Prize for his pioneering work on the infant Universe.

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Ian Crawford is an astronomer turned planetary scientist, and is currently Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, University of London. The main focus of his research is in the area of lunar exploration, including the remote sensing of the lunar surface and the laboratory analysis of lunar samples. Ian also has research interests in the field of astrobiology, especially Martian analogue environments on Earth, and in the future of space exploration which he believes will become increasingly important for the future of humanity.

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis is an high energy astrophysicist who has published some 500 papers on supermassive black holes that have been cited over 35,000 times. He publishes widely on asteroid and lunar resources and the space economy. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Member of the Aspen Center for Physics, and is past-Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Users’ Committee and of the High Energy Division of the American Astronomical Society. Asteroid 9283 Martinelvis is named after him.

Professor John Zarnecki, The Open University, UK

Professor John Zarnecki, The Open University, UK

John Zarnecki, Emeritus Professor of Space Science at the Open University, has over 35 years of experience in Space research; he has been involved in various iconic space missions including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Giotto mission to Halley’s Comet and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. His initial field of interest was x-ray astronomy but for most of his career, he has been involved in the study of the physical properties of Solar System bodies. He has served as President of the Royal Astronomical Society (2016–18) and has just completed a term as Chair of ESA’s main Science Advisory Body, the Space Science Advisory Committee.

Schedule

09:00-12:15
Session 1
5 talks

Chair

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Joseph Silk is Homewood Research Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, researcher emeritus at Ins Institute of Astrophysics of Paris, (Sorbonne University and CNRS), and senior fellow, BIPAC, University of Oxford. He was previously Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of California at Berkeley, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford, and Professor of astrophysics at the Pierre and Marie Curie and Sorbonne universities. His research interests span dark matter, the formation of the galaxies, supermassive black holes and the cosmic microwave background. He is interested in science popularization and in developing lunar telescopes. He was awarded the 2011 Balzan Prize for his pioneering work on the infant Universe.

09:00-09:05
Introduction
09:05-09:30
ESA Perspective on Astronomy and Astrophysics from the Moon

Abstract

This talk will report on ESA’s plans for exploration of the Moon, and the opportunities that this might open for astronomy and astrophysics in the future.

Speakers

Dr James Carpenter, European Space Agency, The Netherlands

Dr James Carpenter, European Space Agency, The Netherlands

James Carpenter is Lead for Moon and Mars Science in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration in the European Space Agency. James joined the ESA in 2008 and has been working on the preparation and development of exploration missions. He is currently working with various international partners to establish a future programme for science on the Moon. Prior to Joining ESA, James was based at the University of Leicester where he was instrument scientist for the MIXS instrument on the BepiColombo mission and investigated cosmic dust on the International Space Station.

09:30-09:35
Discussion
09:35-10:00
A lunar orbit array for discovering the sky at the longest wavelength and exploring the primordial universe

Abstract

After the Big Bang, the Universe entered the so-called Dark Ages, during which structures grew until the first generation of stars, galaxies and black holes formed. The 21-cm line of the neutral hydrogen provides a unique probe to the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn. However, observing the Dark Age is extremely difficult, not only because there is huge foreground radiation, but because the ionosphere of Earth absorbs and distorts the low frequency radio signal. In fact, the radio band below 30 MHz is the last largely unexplored part of the electromagnetic spectrum. I shall present the Discovering Sky at the Longest wavelength (DSL) project, also known as Hongmeng Project, which aims to unveil the sky at low frequency and probe the Cosmic Dawn and Dark Ages by using an array of microsatellites on lunar orbit. After introducing the conceptual design, I shall also discuss the progress in solving the key technological problems, such as image synthesis from the lunar orbit interferometry, precise global spectrum measurement, and the various science cases enabled by such observations. 

Speakers

Professor Xuelei Chen, National Astronomical Observatory of China, China

Professor Xuelei Chen, National Astronomical Observatory of China, China

Xuelei Chen received his PhD from Columbia University in 1999, he did postdoctoral work at the Ohio State University and UCSB before joining the NAOC as a faculty member in 2004. Currently, he is a researcher and the head of the Division of Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology at NAOC, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and has a joint appointment at the Northeast University of China. He works on cosmology, radio astronomy and particle astrophysics, and has co-authored more than 170 research papers. He is the PI of the Discovering the sky at the Longest Wavelength (DSL) lunar orbit array project, and the PI of the Tianlai Project (Dark Energy Radio Detection Key Technology study).

10:00-10:05
Discussion
10:05-10:30
The geology and environment of the Moon

Abstract

This presentation will provide an overview of the Moon itself: what is the Moon made of, how did it geologically evolve through time, what is the nature of its surface environment at the present day? These questions help us to understand the geological evolution of the Moon and also Earth and other terrestrial bodies in the Solar System. They also provide fundamental information about the nature of the Moon’s surface, which is relevant to future exploration and development by missions.

Speakers

Professor Katherine Joy, University of Manchester, UK

Professor Katherine Joy, University of Manchester, UK

Katherine Joy is a lunar and planetary scientist based at the University of Manchester. Her research is focused on understand the geological history of the Moon using samples collected by the Apollo missions and lunar meteorites. Her research into lunar soil samples has applications for an upcoming robotic mission to the lunar South Pole, which will determine the concentration and origins of volatile elements delivered to the Moon. Katherine is also involved with collecting and analysing different types of meteorites found in Antarctica.

10:30-10:35
Discussion
10:35-11:00
Break
11:00-11:25
The lunar surface as a recorder of astrophysical processes

Abstract

The lunar surface has been exposed to the space environment for billions of years and during this time has accumulated records of a wide range of astrophysical phenomena. These include solar wind particles implanted in the lunar regolith, and thus a record of the past evolution of the Sun, and cosmogenic products of galactic cosmic rays interacting with the surface, and thus a record of the galactic environment of the Solar System. The lunar surface may also have accreted material from the local interstellar medium, including supernova ejecta and material from interstellar clouds encountered by the Solar System in the past. Owing to the Moon’s relatively low level of geological activity, absence of an atmosphere, and, for much of its history, lack of a magnetic field, the lunar surface is ideally suited to collect these astronomical records. Moreover, the Moon exhibits geological processes able to bury, and thus both preserve and ‘time-stamp’, these records, although gaining access to them is likely to require a significant scientific infrastructure on the lunar surface.

Speakers

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Ian Crawford is an astronomer turned planetary scientist, and is currently Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, University of London. The main focus of his research is in the area of lunar exploration, including the remote sensing of the lunar surface and the laboratory analysis of lunar samples. Ian also has research interests in the field of astrobiology, especially Martian analogue environments on Earth, and in the future of space exploration which he believes will become increasingly important for the future of humanity.

11:25-11:30
Discussion
11:30-11:55
NASA perspective

Abstract

Abstract will be available soon.

Speakers

Dr Joel Kearns, NASA, USA

Dr Joel Kearns, NASA, USA

Dr Joel Kearns is the Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. Dr Kearns manages the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP) and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiatives.

Prior to his appointment as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, Dr. Kearns served as the director of Facilities, Test and Manufacturing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, where he led efforts encompassing facilities infrastructure, aerospace testing, flight research aircraft, and on-site manufacturing and environmental management.

Dr Kearns also served as the deputy director of GRC’s Space Flight Systems Directorate, providing executive direction of projects assigned to Glenn in human exploration and operations, space science and space technology. He has also previously worked at NASA Headquarters in human spaceflight, and at both the Ames Research Center in California and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, where he worked on programs as varied as microgravity research, the space shuttle and SOFIA. He has also held positions in industry.

Joel received his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering, and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. As an associate fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, Joel was awarded the US Government’s Presidential Rank of Meritorious Senior Executive in 2009. He is also an inventor on four patents for single crystal growth technology.

11:55-12:15
Discussion
12:15-13:15
Lunch
13:15-17:00
Session 2
6 talks

Chair

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Professor Ian Crawford, Birkbeck, University of London, UK

Ian Crawford is an astronomer turned planetary scientist, and is currently Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck College, University of London. The main focus of his research is in the area of lunar exploration, including the remote sensing of the lunar surface and the laboratory analysis of lunar samples. Ian also has research interests in the field of astrobiology, especially Martian analogue environments on Earth, and in the future of space exploration which he believes will become increasingly important for the future of humanity.

13:15-13:40
Lunar Cosmology

Abstract

The lunar surface allows a unique way forward in cosmology, to go beyond current limits. The far side provides a unique radio-quiet environment for probing the dark ages, via 21-cm interferometry, to seek elusive clues on the nature of the infinitesimal fluctuations that seeded galaxy formation. Far-infrared telescopes in cold and dark lunar polar craters will probe back to the first months of the Big Bang and study associated spectral distortions in the CMB. Optical and IR megatelescopes will image the first star clusters in the universe and seek biosignatures in the atmospheres of unprecedented numbers of nearby habitable zone exoplanets.  The goals are compelling, and a stable lunar platform will enable construction of telescopes that can access trillions of modes in the sky, providing the key to exploration of our cosmic origins.

Speakers

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Professor Joseph Silk FRS, Institut Astrophysique de Paris, France and Johns Hopkins University, USA and University of Oxford, UK

Joseph Silk is Homewood Research Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, researcher emeritus at Ins Institute of Astrophysics of Paris, (Sorbonne University and CNRS), and senior fellow, BIPAC, University of Oxford. He was previously Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of California at Berkeley, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford, and Professor of astrophysics at the Pierre and Marie Curie and Sorbonne universities. His research interests span dark matter, the formation of the galaxies, supermassive black holes and the cosmic microwave background. He is interested in science popularization and in developing lunar telescopes. He was awarded the 2011 Balzan Prize for his pioneering work on the infant Universe.

13:40-13:45
Discussion
13:45-14:10
Low Radio Frequency Science from the Moon with NASA Lunar-Landed Telescopes

Abstract

Exploration of the low radio frequency Universe from the Moon will soon begin with landed payload missions facilitated by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Professor Burns will discuss CLPS landers that will deliver three radio science experiments, ROLSES (Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Electron Sheath) to the south pole in 2023, and two LuSEE (Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment) payloads to the far side in 2024/25. ROLSES and LuSEE, operating at 0.1-50 MHz, will investigate the plasma environment and measure the fidelity of radio spectra on the surface. LuSEE-Nite will operate at night for about two years and will perform the first 21-cm cosmological observations from the lunar surface, opening one of the last windows to the early Universe - the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn. Using the redshifted 21-cm hyperfine line of neutral hydrogen which fills the early Universe, these observations are enabled by the radio-quiet, nearly ionosphere-free, and environmentally stable lunar far side. Finally, Professor Burns will discuss FARSIDE (Farside Array for Radio Science Investigations of the Dark ages and Exoplanets), a NASA-funded mission concept, which would be the first radio interferometer on the Moon.

Speakers

Professor Jack Burns, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Professor Jack Burns, University of Colorado Boulder, USA

Jack Burns is Professor of Astrophysics, Professor of Physics, and Vice President Emeritus at the University of Colorado. He is Director of the NASA-funded Network for Exploration and Space Science. Burns has served in multiple administrative positions including Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice Provost for Research, Associate Dean, and Department Head at four universities. Burns has over 500 publications listed in NASA’s Astrophysics Data System. Burns is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Astronomical Society (AAS), and a Fellow of the International Academy of Astronautics. He has received NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal and NASA’s Group Achievement Award for Surface Telerobotics. He was a member of the NASA Presidential Transition Team, and has also served as Vice President of the AAS and Chair of the Science Committee for the NASA Advisory Council.

14:10-14:15
Discussion
14:15-14:40
From Exoplanets to Cosmology and Beyond in Visible Light

Abstract

Jean Schneider reviews two high angular resolution and high spectrophotometric sensitivity projects in visible light:

1. A Lunar Hypertelescope based on ‘densified pupil’ for the multi-pixel imaging of exoplanets and arcs of micro-lensed quasars.
2. A concept for OWL-Moon, a 50–100m aperture telescope, to address three major areas in astronomy, namely: the detection of biosignatures on habitable exoplanets, the geophysics of exoplanets, and cosmology. 
Such a large lunar telescope, when coupled with large Earth-based telescopes, would allow Intensity Interferometric measurements, leading to pico-arcsecond angular resolution.

Jean Schneider first worked in High Energy Physics in Orsay (France) from 1966 to 1971. He then moved to the Paris Observatory to work on pulsars, cosmology, and extragalactic astronomy. Since 1988, he essentially works on exoplanets and partially on the foundations of the quantum observation problem.

Speakers

Dr Jean Schneider, Paris Observatory, France

Dr Jean Schneider, Paris Observatory, France

Jean Schneider has first worked in High Energy Physics in Orsay (France) from 1966 to 1971. He then moved to Paris Observatory, working on pulsars, cosmology and extragalactic astronomy. Since 1988 he has essentially worked on exoplanets, and partially on the foundations of the quantum observation problem.

14:40-14:45
Discussion
14:45-15:15
Break
15:15-15:40
The Astrophysical Lunar Observatory – ALO

Abstract

The Astrophysical Lunar Observatory, or ALO, is an ESA topical team to prepare for a Lunar far side low-frequency interferometer in the context of ESA’s Terrae Novae 2030+ program. As coordinator of the ALO topical team, I will provide the latest status of the activities, focusing on a dedicated Concurrent Design Facility activity that was performed with a team of ~50 ESA engineers and present a preliminary baseline design for a far side radio array. I will present the identified enabling technologies and the required R&D developments that we are planning for the coming years.  Finally, I will announce an International Lunar Working group, a collaboration between the ESA ALO team and the NASA SSERVI institute.

Speakers

Dr Marc Klein-Wolt, University of Nijmegen, Netherlands

Dr Marc Klein-Wolt, University of Nijmegen, Netherlands

Dr Marc Klein-Wolt is the Managing Director and co-founder of the Radboud Radio Lab (RRL) of the Radboud University Nijmegen, and assistant professor at the department of Astrophysics. The Radboud Radio Lab, which now consists of about 20 staff members, aims at developing instrumentation for space- and ground-based astronomy. Dr Klein-Wolt is the Project Director of the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT) in Namibia which will be realised to become part of the global Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) network. He is also the Dept. PI of the radio astronomy payload (NCLE) for the Chinese Lunar Chang’e 4 mission, and coordinator of the ESA Topical Team for an Astrophysical Lunar Observatory on the far side of the Moon. Finally, together with Professor Bentum (Eindhoven University of Technology), Dr Klein-Wolt is the director and co-founder of the virtual Center for Astronomical Instrumentation (CAI).

15:40-15:45
Discussion
15:45-16:10
After the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE)

Abstract

Abstract not available.

Speakers

Dr Joseph Lazio, Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA

Dr Joseph Lazio, Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA

Dr Joseph Lazio is the Interplanetary Network Directorate Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and Project Scientist for the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment. The Interplanetary Network Directorate manages the Deep Space Network for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program. He received his PhD from Cornell University, was a National Research Council Research Associate at the US Naval Research Laboratory, and was a Radio Astronomer on the staff of the NRL before joining JPL. He was the Deputy Principal Investigator for the proposed Dark Ages Radio Explorer (DARE). He has served as Project Scientist for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the Deputy Director of the Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR). He observes routinely with the world's premier ground-based radio telescopes, including the Karl G Jansky Very Large Array and the Very Long Baseline Array.

16:10-16:15
Discussion
16:15-16:40
LuSEE 'Night' - The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment

Abstract

I will describe the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment 'LuSEE Night'.  LuSEE Night is a low frequency radio astronomy experiment that will be delivered to the farside of the Moon by the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program in late 2025 or early 2026. LuSEE Night is designed to characterize the galactic radio foreground with best-yet sensitivity and depth but will also measure solar, planetary, and other astrophysical sources.  The payload system under contract and being developed jointly by NASA and the US Department of Energy (DOE) and consists of a 4 channel, 50 MHz Nyquist baseband receiver system and 2 orthogonal ~6m tip-to-tip electric dipole antennas.  LuSEE Night will enjoy standalone operations through the lunar night, without the electromagnetic interference (EMI) of an operating lander system and antipodal to our noisy home planet. LuSEE Night will also be supported by a NASA-funded far-field calibration source, in the form of a lunar-orbiting radio transmitter that broadcasts a pseudo-random code sequence; LuSEE Night will correlate against the code and use the signal to calibrate antenna pattern and system spectral chromaticity.  

Speakers

Professor Stuart D. Bale, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Professor Stuart D. Bale, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Stuart D. Bale is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a former Director of the Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL).  He has broad interests in space and solar physics, low frequency radio astronomy, and space instrumentation.  He is NASA Principal Investigator for the LuSEE ‘Night' and LuSEE 'Lite' experiments in development for NASA CLPS lunar landings and for the FIELDS instrument on the NASA flagship Parker Solar Probe mission in orbit around the Sun.  He is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Geophysical Union and was in 2019-2020 a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Imperial College, London.

16:40-17:00
Discussion
17:00-18:00
Poster Session
09:00-12:15
Session 3
5 talks

Chair

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis is an high energy astrophysicist who has published some 500 papers on supermassive black holes that have been cited over 35,000 times. He publishes widely on asteroid and lunar resources and the space economy. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Member of the Aspen Center for Physics, and is past-Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Users’ Committee and of the High Energy Division of the American Astronomical Society. Asteroid 9283 Martinelvis is named after him.

09:00-09:25
Lunar Gravitational-Wave Detection

Abstract

Future gravitational-wave (GW) detectors like LISA and the proposed Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer will herald a new era of GW science. Together with pulsar timing arrays and inflationary probes, a frequency band spanning over 20 decades will be under observation. However, these detectors leave important frequency gaps for GW detections, most notably the decihertz band, which is predicted to be rich with exciting possibilities for GW cosmology, multi-messenger astrophysics, and fundamental physics. In this talk, Professor Harms presents their vision for the utilization of the Moon as a new platform for GW detection including the decihertz band. The idea goes back to Joseph Weber who led the development of the Lunar Surface Gravimeter deployed on the Moon in 1972 by the crew of Apollo 17. The science goal was to observe the vibrations of the Moon caused by GWs. Three new detector concepts were proposed in 2020 with the potential to revolutionize GW science from the Moon over the next several decades. Very deep studies of the Moon will be required to realize these detectors thereby creating a tight link of lunar GW detection to lunar geology and geophysics.

Speakers

Professor Jan Harms, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Italy

Professor Jan Harms, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Italy

Jan Harms is Professor of Physics at the Gran Sasso Science Institute in L’Aquila, Italy. He earned his PhD at the Leibniz University Hannover in 2006 and has since worked in the field of gravitational-wave detection as member of the LIGO and Virgo collaborations. Harms spent five years in the USA working at the University of Minnesota and Caltech before moving to Italy. He is member of the Instrument Science Board of the proposed next-generation detector Einstein Telescope. In 2020, he led a team that proposed the Lunar Gravitational-Wave Antenna (LGWA) in response to an ESA call of ideas. Today, he is coordinating the scientific collaboration that is carrying out the LGWA science studies and payload development.

09:25-09:30
Discussion
09:30-09:55
The Astrophysics Lunar Observatory: 21-cosmology of the Dark Ages

Abstract

The Astrophysical Lunar Observatory (ALO) mission is notionally the third mission concept being studied in the context of the European Large Logistic Lander (EL3) project, currently in phase A/B1, aiming at program subscription at the ESA Ministerial Council in 2022. Professor Léon Koopmans will present a status update of the project and its scientific goals among which are the detection of the global 21-cm signal from the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn.

Speakers

Professor Leon Koopmans, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Professor Leon Koopmans, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Professor Léon Koopmans is a full professor and scientific director of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen, where he also obtained his undergraduate (1995) and graduate degree (2000; Cum Laude). After his graduate studies, he held a short post-doctoral position at the University of Manchester (2000). He moved to the California Institute of Technology in 2000, where he stayed for 2.5 years, and kept a visiting Fellow status until 2004. In late 2002, he became the Institute Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, before moving back the Kapteyn Institute in early 2004 as faculty member. His research interests span a wide range of topics, but currently largely focus on observing the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen from the first billion years of the Universe.

09:55-10:00
Discussion
10:00-10:25
Infrared Astronomy beyond JWST

Abstract

In the previous meeting about 'Astronomy on the Moon', Dr Maillard has been asking whether our natural satellite could offer the future of infrared astronomy. Since, the launch of JWST, the current largest infrared space telescope, has taken place, providing already spectacular images on a variety of sources and unique spectral information on faint sources as exoplanets. Therefore, this telescope with its instrumentation marks a point of reference to define the future of IR astronomy. With any doubt, the Moon can offer the cold sites to go well beyond in sensitivity, making possible a bigger telescope and giving the chance of a broader spectral domain, while having all the advantages of space conditions. However, due to the difficulty of transporting and assembling on site such a project, it should be a unique international instrument. Therefore, as JWST, it should be designed to cover by its instrumentation a large choice of scientific programs and not be defined for a single one, from detection of the most distant galaxies to detailed analysis of the atmosphere of terrestrial exoplanets, while keeping a reasonable diameter to limit the total cost of the project. 

Speakers

Dr Jean-Pierre Maillard, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, France

Dr Jean-Pierre Maillard, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, France

Jean-Pierre Maillard is currently director of research emeritus at Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris. He started his scientific career in a CNRS lab at Orsay University under P Connes' supervision with his PhD thesis devoted to the application in astronomy of FT spectroscopy which was just beginning. Later, he was in charge of building a high-resolution infrared FTS for the 3.6-m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. With this instrument, in operation for almost twenty years, he obtained several results on the composition of solar system planetary atmospheres, of evolved stars and molecular clouds. By coupling the CFHT-FTS to an infrared camera, he built the first astronomical Imaging FTS to study the envelope of planetary nebulae, of star forming regions. He has been actively participating in several IFTS proposals for ground-based and space telescopes, the last one being a far-IR IFTS for spectral analysis of the CMB.   

10:25-10:30
Discussion
10:30-11:00
Break
11:00-11:25
High-energy Particle Observations from the Moon

Abstract

The Moon is a unique location to study the deep space plasma environment. During most of its orbit around the Earth it is directly exposed to the solar wind. Due to the absence of a substantial intrinsic magnetic field and of a collisional atmosphere, solar wind, and solar energetic particles (SEPs) arrive almost without any deviation or absorption and impact directly on its surface, interacting with the lunar regolith and the tenuous lunar exosphere. Energetic particles arriving at the Moon’s surface can be absorbed, or scattered, or can remove another atom from the lunar regolith by sputtering or desorption. The same phenomenon occurs also with the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), which present fluxes and energy spectra typical of interplanetary space. During the fifth and sixth days of its orbit, however, the Moon crosses the tail of the terrestrial magnetosphere. It then offers the possibility to study in-situ the terrestrial magnetotail plasma environment as well as atmospheric escape from the ionosphere, in the form of heavy ions accelerated and streaming downtail. The lunar environment offers thus a unique opportunity to study the interaction of the solar wind, the cosmic rays and the magnetosphere with the surface and the surface-bounded exosphere of a demagnetised planetary body. 

 

Speakers

Dr Iannis Dandouras, CNRS, IRAP Laboratory, France

Dr Iannis Dandouras, CNRS, IRAP Laboratory, France

Dr Iannis Dandouras is Research Director at CNRS, at the IRAP laboratory (Toulouse). His research interests include solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, terrestrial magnetosphere dynamics, and the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere (plasmasphere, ring current, radiation belts, exosphere, ion outflows and escape). Research interests also include the dynamics of the magnetospheres of other planets, Saturn’s magnetosphere and its interaction with the satellites and their exospheres, and the Moon’s plasma environment. He has been involved as PI in the Cluster 4-spacecraft mission, as Co-I in the Cassini mission to Saturn and the BepiColombo mission to Mercury and has been a member of the ESA Daedalus Mission Advisory Group. He has been leading the ESA Topical Team for the conceptual design of a space plasma physics payload onboard the Lunar Gateway, has published more than 300 papers and has also served as president of the Solar-Terrestrial Sciences Division of EGU.

11:25-11:30
Discussion
11:30-11:55
Cosmic mysteries and the hydrogen 21-cm line

Abstract

The forbidden radio signal of atomic hydrogen produced at the intrinsic wavelength of 21-cm could help us solve some of the remaining cosmic mysteries. For example, it could advance our understanding of the formation process of the very first stars, black holes, and galaxies and clarify the ultimate phase transition that the Universe went through – the process of reionisation. The field of 21-cm cosmology is undergoing a revolution with both observations and modelling making rapid progress. Radio experiments on the Moon will advance our understanding of the first few hundred million years of cosmic history by mapping the 21-cm signal from the epoch called the cosmic Dark Ages, prior to the formation of any sources of light. Free from contamination by astrophysical sources, this signal will provide unique information about the structure of our Universe and the nature of dark matter particles. In this talk, Dr Anastasia Fialkov will discuss the recent advances in the field of 21-cm cosmology and the prospects for 21-cm cosmology from the Moon.

Speakers

Dr Anastasia Fialkov, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr Anastasia Fialkov, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK

Dr Anastasia Fialkov is a Royal Society University Research Chair (RS URF) and an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. Anastasia works on a wide range of topics related to the first billion years of cosmic history including theoretical modelling and observations of the 21-cm signal of neutral hydrogen which carries information about astrophysical processes at cosmic dawn such as primordial star formation and the emergence of the first population of black holes. Anastasia is also passionate about the nature of dark matter and is currently looking for astrophysical manifestations of ultra-light dark matter particles in hydrodynamical numerical simulations. Prior to starting the position at Cambridge, Anastasia held prestigious research fellowships at the Ecole Normale Superiore in Paris and the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She spent part of her RS URF at Sussex University. Anastasia completed her PhD at Tel Aviv University, Israel. 

11:55-12:15
Discussion
12:15-13:15
Lunch
13:15-17:00
Session 4
7 talks

Chair

Professor John Zarnecki, The Open University, UK

Professor John Zarnecki, The Open University, UK

John Zarnecki, Emeritus Professor of Space Science at the Open University, has over 35 years of experience in Space research; he has been involved in various iconic space missions including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Giotto mission to Halley’s Comet and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. His initial field of interest was x-ray astronomy but for most of his career, he has been involved in the study of the physical properties of Solar System bodies. He has served as President of the Royal Astronomical Society (2016–18) and has just completed a term as Chair of ESA’s main Science Advisory Body, the Space Science Advisory Committee.

13:15-13:40
Observing the Earth from the Moon to prepare for Earth-like exoplanet characterisation

Abstract

LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of Earth, is a small, robust spectropolarimeter for observing the Earth as an exoplanet. Detecting Earth-like exoplanets in stellar habitable zones is one of the key challenges of modern astronomy, and it drives the design of future, huge space observatories. Characterising such planets and searching for signs of habitable environments, such as liquid water, and possibly traces of life requires the direct detection of their signals. LOUPE will provide unique spectral flux and linear polarisation spectra of sunlight that is reflected by Earth. Such spectra cannot be obtained from remote-sensing data from LEO satellites. LOUPE’s data will be used to test numerical codes that are used to predict signals of Earth-like exoplanets, to test algorithms that retrieve planet properties, and to fine-tune the design and observational strategies of future space observatories. From the Moon, LOUPE will continuously see the whole disk of the Earth, enabling it to monitor the signal changes due to the planet’s daily rotation, weather patterns and seasons, across all phase angles. In addition, LOUPE’s measurements of the spectral albedo of the Earth and the variations therein are valuable input for climate science. Stam will present both the science case and the technology behind LOUPE’s design.

Speakers

Dr Daphne M Stam, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Dr Daphne M Stam, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Daphne Stam studied Physics and Astronomy at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Her PhD research, on spectral variations in the polarisation of sunlight that is reflected by the Earth, was performed at the KNMI and the Vrije Universiteit.

As a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, she worked on the analysis of observations of the Sun's giant planets, and subsequently worked with personal grants on polarisation signals of exoplanets at the University of Amsterdam and SRON, the Netherlands Space Research Institute. In 2012, Daphne took up a position at the rapidly expanding Planetary Exploration group at Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, where she is currently Associate Professor of Planetary Sciences, focusing on spectropolarimetry, the modelling of reflection by atmospheres and surfaces of planets, including the Earth, around the Sun and beyond, and the development of LOUPE.

13:40-13:45
Discussion
13:45-14:10
Technosignature searches from the lunar farside

Abstract

The question of whether or not humans are alone in the universe as intelligent beings is among the most profound we can ask. A universe in which intelligent life arises commonly, and occasionally attains vast and long-lived technological capabilities, may be markedly different than one in which such life is an extraordinarily rare anomaly - perhaps even on the very largest scales. Dr Siemion will discuss the growing body of evidence that the opportunities for life to arise elsewhere in the universe are numerous and briefly describe several of the burgeoning experiments that are breathing new life into the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). He will also describe the unique challenges that radio frequency interference, low Earth orbit satellites and the Earth’s atmosphere pose to searches for manifestations of advanced extraterrestrial life and the opportunity for lunar farside-based observatories to address them. Following a review of the appearance of lunar observatories in the historical SETI literature, he will discuss several near-term initiatives that could lay the ground work for the realization of a lunar technosignature search capability by the end of this decade.

Speakers

Dr Andrew Siemion, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Dr Andrew Siemion, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Andrew Siemion is Director of the Berkeley SETI Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, Principal Investigator for the Breakthrough Listen Initiative and holder of the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI at the SETI Institute.  Andrew and his team oversee a global research program seeking to determine the prevalence of technologically capable life in the universe, leveraging world-class telescopes operating across the electromagnetic spectrum, data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and deep partnerships with industry, private philanthropy, and national funding agencies.

14:10-14:15
Discussion
14:15-14:40
The lunar dust environment: concerns for Moon-based astronomy

Abstract

The Moon, as all other airless bodies in the solar system, is continually bombarded by interplanetary dust particles, and is also immersed in the solar wind plasma flow and UV radiation. There are several controversial observations from the Apollo era that can now be revisited due to new spacecraft data, and recent dedicated laboratory experiments. Hypervelocity dust impacts generate secondary dust ejecta particles, neutral and ionised gases, sustaining the recently discovered, permanently present dust cloud engulfing the Moon, and contributing to the production of the dilute lunar atmosphere and ionosphere. UV and plasma exposure results in the electrostatic charging of the lunar regolith, that can lead to the mobilisation, transport, and large-scale redistribution of the lunar fines. Professor Horányi will focus on the recent results of in situ observations, as well as the latest laboratory results, a combination which resulted in a much-improved understanding of the lunar dust environment.

Speakers

Professor Mihály Horányi, University of Colorado, USA

Professor Mihály Horányi, University of Colorado, USA

Mihály Horányi joined the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in 1992 and the Physics Department in 1999 at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research interests include theoretical and experimental investigations of space and laboratory dusty plasmas. He served as a co-investigator for the dust instruments onboard the Ulysses, Galileo, and Cassini missions, and as a principal investigator for the dust instruments built by LASP: The Student Dust Counter (SDC) onboard New Horizons, the Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE) onboard the AIM satellite, and the Lunar Dust Experiment LDEX onboard the LADEE mission. He is the Principal Investigator for the Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) onboard the upcoming IMAP mission. He is the author of over 300 refereed publications and is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Geophysical Union. Asteroid 1998 AX9 is named 164701 Horányi by the International Astronomical Union, 2018.

14:40-14:45
Discussion
14:45-15:10
Commercial Opportunities for Lunar Science

Abstract

Safely landing on the Moon is hard. Only three countries have accomplished this feat so far — the U.S. (June 1966), the Soviet Union (January 1966) and China (December 2013). In 2007, Google and the XPRIZE Foundation captured the world’s attention by announcing the audacious $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE aimed to spur commercial and affordable access to the Moon. No team managed to win the XPRIZE, but as a result of this competition, expectations were changed with regard to who can land on the Moon. Previously, lunar missions were the sole purview of a few government agencies, and collaboration was facilitated through high-level, top-down agreements and large, static roadmaps. With the XPRIZE, many started believing a lunar landing can be achieved by small teams of entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators from around the world. The landscape for private Moon landers has changed dramatically since then — thanks to falling launch costs, a growing pool of customers willing to pay for a trip to the Moon, fresh government backing for commercial lunar efforts; and the growing competition between the “space billionaires”. These tycoons, with deep imaginations and deeper wallets, have ambitions to go deep into space and want a permanent presence on the Moon. This talk will review these dramatic commercial lunar developments; and highlight the growing number and diversity of lunar activity. Are space scientists ready to take advantage of it? We argue that frequent, low-cost, and/or high-mass-and-volume lunar launches could provide an incredible opportunity for lunar science. 

 

Speakers

Angeliki Kapoglou, Open Lunar Foundation, Greece

Angeliki Kapoglou, Open Lunar Foundation, Greece

Angeliki Kapoglou is an international expert in commercial space with a focus in lunar exploration, innovation and future studies. For four years, she has been part of ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration Strategy team, assessing future lunar surface exploration scenarios and developing European priorities and activities for sustainable lunar development. Angeliki has also contributed to ESA’s space resources strategy, ESA’s LEO/Post-ISS commercialisation strategy, the Moonlight initiative (Lunar Communications & Navigation); and the newly established SOLARIS team, exploring the feasibility of Space-based Solar Power for Net Zero and energy security goals. Passionate about lunar governance and space policy issues, Angeliki is also a fellow with the Open Lunar Foundation and a convener of the Moon Dialogs Initiative. Before that, Angeliki spent two years at one of the world’s leading centres for innovation, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. In the past, she also worked at CERN and NASA’s JPL Innovation Foundry. 

15:10-15:15
Discussion
15:15-15:30
Break
15:30-15:45
Highly Constrained Site Selection and Protection for Major Observatories on the Moon

Abstract

Proposals for major new lunar observatories, many of them presented at this meeting, are often demanding in their site selection criteria. As a result, there are only a few special locations on the Moon at which most can function optimally. Several examples are given including for a farside low frequency radio array, a far-IR telescope, and a gravitational wave interferometer. Much is at stake as all these facilities will make our present capabilities seem puny. The astronomically valuable properties of the sites are fragile and easily disturbed by other activities on the Moon. Yet without those other activities the infrastructure needed to build large astronomy facilities will not exist. Anticipating the need to protect these sites will require astronomers to perform careful site surveys, define levels of acceptable interference, propose technical mitigation steps where feasible, and work with other scientists who need lunar sites for their research. Astronomers will then be well-positioned to work with policy experts to implement measures that preserve these sites of extraordinary scientific interest.

Speakers

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis is an high energy astrophysicist who has published some 500 papers on supermassive black holes that have been cited over 35,000 times. He publishes widely on asteroid and lunar resources and the space economy. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Member of the Aspen Center for Physics, and is past-Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Users’ Committee and of the High Energy Division of the American Astronomical Society. Asteroid 9283 Martinelvis is named after him.

15:45-15:50
Discussion
15:50-16:05
The Policy and Governance Context of Lunar Science

Abstract

Over the next decade, numerous international space exploration missions are expected to land at just a handful of sites on the lunar surface, several of which present unique potential for scientific research. The clustering of mission activity at these sites portends crowding and interference problems, including specific challenges for scientific missions.  The most promising means to addressing these problems is the development of international governance institutions or mechanisms to manage activities at these sites. This paper surveys the historical foundations of lunar governance, examines contemporary efforts at developing a regime for lunar activities, and explores future scenarios for developing governance and policy in this area. 

Speakers

Dr Alanna Krolikowski, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA

Dr Alanna Krolikowski, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA

Alanna Krolikowski is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), where she specializes in policy for science, technology, and innovation. Her research and teaching focuses on policy for space activities, the Chinese and US innovation systems, and international relations. Before joining Missouri S&T, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University and a visiting professor at the University of Göttingen. She obtained her PhD from the University of Toronto.  

16:05-16:10
Discussion
16:10-17:00
Panel Discussion

Speakers

Dr Phil Bull, University of Manchester, UK

Dr Phil Bull, University of Manchester, UK

Dr Phil Bull is a theoretical and observational cosmologist at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. He completed his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford respectively, before going on to postdoctoral positions at the University of Oslo, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, and the University of California at Berkeley, followed by a lectureship at Queen Mary University of London. His scientific interests are in understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe, particularly using observations from large optical and radio surveys such as LSST, SKA, MeerKAT, and HERA. His current research centres around 21cm intensity mapping at low and high redshift.

Professor Sara Seagar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Professor Sara Seagar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Professor Sara Seager is a Professor of Physics, Planetary Science, and Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she holds the Class of 1941 Professor Chair. Her ground-breaking research ranges from the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres to innovative theories about life on other worlds to development of novel space mission concepts. She was the Deputy Science Director of the NASA mission TESS; PI of the JPL-MIT CubeSat ASTERIA; and has had numerous leadership roles in concept development for space-based direct imaging missions to find a true Earth analog orbiting a Sun-like star. Most recently she focuses on the possibility of life in sulfuric acid and leads the Morning Star Missions to Venus. Her accolades include a MacArthur fellowship, membership in US National Academy of Sciences, and an appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis, Harvard University, USA

Dr Martin Elvis is an high energy astrophysicist who has published some 500 papers on supermassive black holes that have been cited over 35,000 times. He publishes widely on asteroid and lunar resources and the space economy. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Member of the Aspen Center for Physics, and is past-Chair of the Hubble Space Telescope Users’ Committee and of the High Energy Division of the American Astronomical Society. Asteroid 9283 Martinelvis is named after him.

Lord Martin Rees FRS, Past President of the Royal Society and Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge

Lord Martin Rees FRS, Past President of the Royal Society and Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge

Martin Rees is the UK's Astronomer Royal. He is based at Cambridge University where he is a Fellow (and Former Master) of Trinity College. He is a member of the House of Lords, and a former President of the Royal Society. His research interests include space exploration, black holes, galaxy formation, the multiverse, and prospects for extraterrestrial life. He is co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risks at Cambridge University (CSER). In addition to academic publications, research papers he has written many general articles and ten books, most recently 'On the Future: Prospects for Humanity'.