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Tiny UK satellite will hide behind the Moon to listen for the universe before its first stars

Cambridge-led CosmoCube will use the radio silence of the Moon's far side to search for a faint hydrogen signal from the cosmic dark ages more than 13.5 billion years ago.

By The TEA Editorial Desk · 28 August 2026

Artist's impression of the CosmoCube lunar satellite Image: Surrey Space Technology Ltd / University of CambridgeOriginal source

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A satellite roughly the size of a small cabin bag could use the far side of the Moon as a giant natural soundproofing wall to investigate one of the least understood periods in cosmic history.

CosmoCube, led by University of Cambridge scientists, is designed to listen for an extremely faint radio signal from dating back more than 13.5 billion years, before the first stars formed.

Earth is a terrible place to make that measurement because our ionosphere blocks the relevant frequencies and human radio transmissions create overwhelming interference. On the far side of the Moon, CosmoCube would be shielded from that noise for around 40 minutes during each two-hour orbit.

The team hopes to build up about 1,000 hours of observations over a two-year mission. Funding from the UK Space Agency and bodies is supporting development, with a possible launch within five years.