Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – The UK is set to play a pivotal role in a groundbreaking mission aimed at deciphering cosmic light patterns from space, offering insights that stretch back nearly to the inception of the universe. This involvement brings us closer to unraveling the origins and fundamental nature of our Universe.
Headed by Japan, the LiteBIRD mission (short for ‘Light satellite for the study of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection’) will meticulously examine fluctuations in the cosmic light remnants dating back to the Big Bang. This endeavor seeks to validate the prevailing theory of the universe’s immediate post-formation expansion, known as cosmological inflation theory.
The UK Space Agency has committed an initial £2.7 million to this mission, which will finance two crucial aspects. This includes a team of UK scientists will be responsible for devising key components of LiteBIRD’s highly specialized scientific instruments and conducting in-depth analyses of their outcomes.
Cardiff University, the sole institution globally possessing the necessary expertise, will manufacture the telescopes’ lenses and filters, thereby contributing to the project’s success as well.
The UK Space Agency plans to allocate a total of £17 million over the course of the mission, scheduled for launch before 2030. LiteBIRD is among the growing list of collaborative space ventures between the UK and Japan.
During the International Astronautical Congress held in Baku, Azerbaijan this week, the UK also pledged £1.7 million from its £20 million International Bilateral Fund to support Viasat’s in-orbit telemetry relay service, known as In-Range. This support will facilitate its application on Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s H3 launch vehicle, set to embark on missions from 2025. The H3 rocket is designed to provide a dependable, cost-efficient, and user-friendly solution for commercial launches.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, says “We expect LiteBIRD to be a game-changer for our understanding of cosmology, putting our best theories to the test as to what happened at the start of the Universe.”
