Daily Image
10-10-2014
DSL team at the 2nd ESA-CAS workshop in Copenhagen
| Submitter: | Albert-Jan Boonstra |
| Description: | At the 23-24 September Copenhagen Workshop "Planning for a joint scientific space mission", some 14 groups presented space mission concepts and corresponding science cases. They ranged from gamma-ray space science, ultraviolet Solar science, and far-infrared spectroscopy, to low frequency radio science. The workshop was initiated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). A joint ESA-CAS mission call is expected by the end of this year. Mission selection is aimed for the end of 2015, and the goal for launch is 2021. Prior to this workshop, there were three partially overlapping mission concepts in the ultra-long wavelength radio regime: a three-dimensional satellite array in the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point, a linear array in a low Moon-orbit, and a set of a few satellites also in Moon orbit. These three were merged into one concept, with acronym DSL and a tentatively chosen expanded name: Discovering the Sky at the Longest wavelengths This mission would open up the last virtually unexplored frequency range, which is inaccessible from Earth due to the Earth's ionospheric cut-off. Its science would include a full-sky continuum survey of discrete sources and of continuum diffuse emission, transients, and search for signatures of the Dark Ages, to name but a few. The picture shows part of the DSL team posing at the quay close to the workshop venue, the Eigtveds Pakhus, which is a historical building complex located next to the Ministry of foreign affairs in Copenhagen. The inset upper left shows Leonid Gurvits (JIVE/TUDelft) outlining the science that can be done with the DSL. The upper right inset shows Jingye Yan (NSSC) explaining the DSL concept and technologies. |
| Copyright: | ASTRON/SHAO |
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