NASA is set to launch an ‘artificial star’ into the Earth’s orbit to try and unlock the universe’s best kept secrets.
Dubbed “Landolt” the device is equipped with eight lasers and is the size of a shoebox despite it costing the US space agency a whopping $19.5million (£15.4million) to build and blast off.
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Nasa aims to put it into space by 2029 and have it float above the US.
They hope it will be able to calibrate ground-based telescopes accurately and is capable of soaring around at a whopping 22,236 miles above Earth.
Due to the tiny size and very low brightness up in space, the satellite detector won’t be visible to the human eye but could be viewed with a specialised telescope.
Landolt’s orbit will be synchronised with the Earth’s rotation meaning it can always stay in a fixed position in its first year in space.
The lasers will also be specially designed to emit light at a precise and pre-planned rate which can be controlled from the ground.
Once in orbit, the lasers will be fired down at ground-based telescopes to help observe the ‘artificial star’.
Lasers in space is a pretty cool selling point, as is getting to work on a mission, but scientifically, what we’re trying to do here is really fundamental
Jamie Tayar
The overall aim is to help create “new stellar brightness catalogues” by measuring how much of the laser’s lights can be absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere.
It is hoped that the new device will help to make the catalogues be more precisely measured than the current methods used today which date back decades.
As well as allowing astronomers to have a better understanding on star characteristics, surface temperatures, and planetary habitats.
It has been dubbed an “artificial star” as it will mimic a star’s characteristics almost perfectly, say the University of Florida (UoF) research team.
Nasa mission member and assistant professor of astronomy at UoF, Jamie Tayar, said: “Lasers in space is a pretty cool selling point, as is getting to work on a mission, but scientifically, what we’re trying to do here is really fundamental.”
The device could also play a pivotal role in teaching us more about the universe.
Certain revelations could help to solve century long conundrums such as the age of the universe and how fast it has grown over time.
Other crucial phenomenon like how much energy a star releases could be figured out with the new invetion.
It is even hoped that it may get us closer to discovering other liveable planets in our solar system due to the extensive knowledge gained through the stars.
Principal investigator for the mission Peter Plavchan added: “When we look at a star with a telescope, no one can tell you today the rate of photons or brightness coming from it with the desired level of accuracy.
“We will now know exactly how many photons-per-second come out of this source to 0.25 percent accuracy.”
The mission will be overseen out of the George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Twelve other scientific institutions will also work on the Landolt.
The name of the clever tech comes from the late astronomer Arlo Landolt, who created a number of catalogues of star brightness for over two decades.
It comes as Nasa also outlined ambitious plans for a “Super-Hubble” space camera that will seek out alien planets.
Researchers are keen to identify and take pictures of at least 25 potentially habitable worlds beyond our solar system.
The agency’s space telescope will peer deep into the distant universe from our cosmic backyard of the solar system.
The space agency awarded contracts to three firms researching the device’s optics, mission and technical features.
Overall, it is expected to cost upwards of $17.5 million, report Science Alert.
With brave space tourists also rumoured to be able to soar 22,000 miles above Earth at the touch of an elevator button through a new device.
The bonkers $100 billion giant space elevator project could start hoisting people to Mars by 2050, says its Japanese designers.
The idea has been described as “kooky,” technically challenging, and risky by worried scientists.
But the firm behind the idea, Obayashi Corporation, labelled the space elevator “technically feasible”.
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