Why in News?

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

What is CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) mission?

• It is one of several of NASA’s CubeSat Missions, which involve the development and deployment of small, standardized satellite units called CubeSats.
• The CURIE mission also serves as a precursor to the upcoming Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment, or SunRISE, mission
• It is a two-element radio interferometer, based on proven and developed digital radio receivers and designed to fit within a Cubesat platform. CURIE will launch as a 6U Cubesat and then separate into two 3U Cubesats once in orbit.
• The two satellite systems provide separate vantage points to measure the same radio waves emanating from the Sun and other celestial sources. The mission’s dual perspective enhances the accuracy and reliability of the data collected, allowing researchers a deeper look at the origins of solar radio waves.
• The principal science objective for CURIE is to use radio interferometry to study radio burst emissions from solar eruptive events such as flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the inner heliosphere, providing observations important for our understanding of the heliospheric space weather environment.

Working

• • This spacecraft will measure radio waves in the 0.1 to 19 megahertz range, frequencies blocked by Earth’s upper atmosphere, necessitating space-based observations.
  • CURIE will orbit 360 miles above Earth’s surface to obtain an unobstructed view of the Sun’s radio emissions.
  • Once in orbit, the two CURIE spacecraft will separate, deploy their eight-foot antennas, and begin collecting data.
  • This mission not only promises to advance our understanding of solar phenomena but also paves the way for future space-based radio astronomy endeavors