AMMB STIG Seminar, 19 Oct 2026

The AMMB STIG Seminar and Low Radio Frequencies

Operating under NASA's Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG), the Astrophysics from the Moon, Mars, and Beyond Science and Technology Interest Group (AMMB STIG) is hosting a virtual seminar on October 19, 2026. In this gathering, Joe Lazio from the University of Michigan presents "The MegaWave Radio Surveyor," an ambitious mission concept addressing questions in modern astrophysics and planetary science. The working group regularly assesses how observatories positioned in lunar environments or deep space can bypass terrestrial barriers to achieve high-priority scientific milestones.

MegaWave Radio Surveyor and Space-Based Interferometry

Earth's ionosphere reflects and distorts the lowest radio frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum, preventing ground-based instruments from detecting pristine signals from deep space. The MegaWave Radio Surveyor aims to open this largely unexplored spectral window by deploying a coordinated space-based interferometer array. By distributing radio antennas across orbital or cislunar configurations, the system measures extended radio wavelengths and phase differences with high fidelity. Such sensitive interferometric baselines will permit precise tracking of space weather phenomena, stellar wind interactions, and magnetospheric radio emissions around distant planetary bodies.

Scientific Implications from Exoplanets to Cosmology

Many Decadal-level questions across astrophysics, astrobiology, and cosmology can only be solved at low radio frequencies. Tracking the magnetic field interactions and energetic space weather around exoplanets provides vital clues regarding their atmospheric retention and long-term habitability. Simultaneously, primordial cosmic signals and diffuse astrophysical structures become discernible in this quiet regime. The MegaWave concept outlines a coherent architectural pathway for future space-based low-frequency astrophysics missions, pushing observational frontiers beyond terrestrial limits.