CURIE MISSION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

News-CRUX-10     11th July 2024        
QEP Pocket Notes

Context: NASA is set to launch a groundbreaking CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) mission to unravel the mysteries of solar radio waves.


CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) Mission

  • Objective: Investigate the origins of solar radio waves using innovative techniques.
  • Spacecraft Description: Consists of two shoebox-sized satellites orbiting approximately two miles apart.
  • Technology: Utilizes low frequency radio interferometry, a pioneering method in space research.
  • Operational Capability

o Radio Wave Measurement: Covers the 0.1 to 19 megahertz frequency range, inaccessible from Earth due to atmospheric blockage.

o Orbital Position: Orbits 360 miles above Earth to achieve unobstructed solar observations.

o Deployment: Upon orbit insertion, spacecraft separate, deploy eight-foot antennas, and initiate data collection.

  • Scientific Significance

o Research Impact: Advances understanding of solar radio emissions and related phenomena.

o Future Prospects: Sets precedent for future space-based radio astronomy missions.

o Sponsorship and Support

o Funding: Supported by NASA’s Heliophysics Flight Opportunities for Research and Technology (H-FORT) Program.

QEP Pocket Notes