Design and characterization of the engineering model of the spectrometer onboard LuSEE-Night

Abstract

The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Explorer—Night, LuSEE-Night, is a low-frequency radio astronomy experiment that will explore the cosmic Dark Ages signal on the radio-quiet farside of the Moon. The LuSEE-Night carries a radio frequency spectrometer consisting of a set of antennas, analog and digital processing electronics, and will be launched by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services in 2025. The spectrometer is designed to observe the spectrum of the radio sky in the 0.5–50 MHz band. The engineering model (EM) of the four-channel spectrometer has been developed. The EM has been characterized for linearity, gain, noise, and their temperature dependence, confirming that the EM meets all the requirements for LuSEE-Night. Three mitigation techniques have been implemented and verified to suppress self-induced electromagnetic interference. The flight model of the spectrometer is currently being developed and is scheduled to be shipped to the integration site in early 2024.