This video introduces the Pratush experiment, a pioneering deep space mission aiming to detect the previously unobserved signal from the cosmic dawn—a critical epoch in the universe's early history. To overcome pervasive terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI), Pratush is uniquely designed to operate on the far side of the moon, where it will be shielded by both Earth and the Sun. The system's architecture includes an antenna, an analog receiver for calibration, and an RF-shielded digital receiver. A central engineering challenge lies in mitigating self-generated RFI from its onboard systems while adhering to stringent Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) constraints inherent to space missions. The experiment relies on a single-board computer to serve as the primary controller, managing calibration signal generation, data acquisition, pre-processing, and storage. Rigorous laboratory testing, comprising 43 runs each lasting 8 hours, has successfully demonstrated a noise level of approximately 10 milliKelvin, significantly lower than the anticipated 100 milliKelvin cosmic dawn signal, marking a pivotal milestone for the mission's lunar deployment.
Summarizing the Pratush Experiment: Detecting the Cosmic Dawn
0:07 CMBB Distortions Lab Focus: The research team at the CMBB distortions lab investigates different epochs in cosmic history.
0:13 Pratush Mission Objective: The primary goal of the Pratush experiment is to detect the signal from the cosmic dawn, an event never before observed globally.
0:21 Unique Lunar Operation: Pratush is engineered to operate on the far side of the moon, in the shadow of both Earth and the Sun, to eliminate challenges from ground-based radio frequency interference (RFI).
0:35 Mitigating Onboard RFI: A major challenge is self-generated RFI from the onboard systems, necessitating an RF-shielded enclosure for the digital receiver.
0:45 Core Components: The Pratush system consists of three main parts: an antenna, an analog receiver for calibration, and a digital receiver.
0:57 Single Board Computer (SBC) as Controller: A powerful single board computer is required to control the experiment, generate calibration signals for the analog receiver, initiate digital data acquisition, perform pre-processing, and store data.
1:22 Space Mission Constraints (SWaP): The choice of the SBC is dictated by strict Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) requirements for space deployment, with validation being a significant challenge.
1:48 Extensive Lab Testing: The Pratush receiver chain underwent 43 laboratory runs, each lasting 8 hours, testing both analog and digital components.
1:57 Critical Noise Level Achievement: Lab tests successfully achieved a noise level of approximately 10 milliKelvin (mK), which is significantly lower than the expected 100 mK signal from the cosmic dawn.
2:06 Key Milestone for Lunar Mission: This successful noise performance is a crucial milestone, allowing the translation to an equivalent space-based model and paving the way for Pratush's journey to the moon.