NASA’s upcoming mission, GUSTO telescope, to map the interstellar space in the Milky Way Galaxy, set to launch on a balloon
NASA is preparing for an extraordinary experiment called GUSTO (Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory) in Antarctica. The project involves a balloon-borne telescope that is set to launch on or after December 21, according to NASA. Although it may not be as advanced as the James Webb Space Telescope, it will play a significant role in NASA’s extensive network of telescopes. The launch will take place near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station research base on the Ross Ice Shelf.
Mapping the Milky Way with GUSTO
As NASA explains, GUSTO’s primary mission is to peer into the interstellar medium, the space between stars, and create a 3D map of a significant portion of the Milky Way. Focusing on an area of 100 square degrees, the telescope uses very high frequency radio waves to study the different phases of the interstellar medium and analyze the abundance of important chemical elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen.
By scanning these elements essential for life on Earth, GUSTO aims to unravel the complex processes that make up the interstellar medium. This state, where dispersed cold gas and dust collects into molecular clouds, plays a key role in the formation of stars and planets. GUSTO is uniquely positioned to look at the early stages of this process and provides insights into how these clouds form.
GUSTO works as a cosmic radio tuned to high-frequency signals emitted by atoms and molecules. GUSTO is able to detect signals a thousand times higher than mobile phones, so it acts as a cosmic listener and gathers valuable information about the interstellar medium. As the telescope moves across the sky, researchers map the strength and speed of the signals, creating images that resemble photographs of cosmic emissions.
Chris Walker, GUSTO’s principal investigator at the University of Arizona, said: “We basically have this radio system that we’ve built that allows us to turn a knob and tune the frequency of these lines. And if we hear something, we know it’s them. We know it’s those atoms and molecules .”
Antarctica: the ideal launch pad
Antarctica proves to be an ideal launch site for GUSTO, as its constant sunshine during the Southern Hemisphere summer provides stability for scientific balloons. In addition, the atmospheric conditions around the South Pole create a phenomenon called an anticyclone, which allows the balloons to fly in circles without disturbance. This enables extended observation periods and maximizes scientific output.
GUSTO’s mission extends beyond our galaxy, as it aims to reveal the 3D structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) near the Milky Way. By studying the LMC and comparing it to our galaxy, scientists hope to gain insight into the evolution of galaxies from the early universe to the present day.
The GUSTO mission is a collaboration between NASA, the University of Arizona, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, MIT, JPL, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and others.
