Space Electric and Magnetic Sensor (SEAMS) Phase I: A Pathfinder Mission for Low-Frequency Radio Astronomy

In this paper, the Space Electric and Magnetic Sensor (SEAMS), a space based mission dedicated to very low frequency (below 16 MHz) observations of the radio sky is proposed. The SEAMS mission is planned in two phases. The first phase is specifically designed for radio frequency interference (RFI) mapping from the low earth orbit (LEO). The low frequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum is filled with a variety of artificial as well as natural RFI. Previous observations have confirmed the effect of this terrestrial interference on astronomical observations. Thus, a map of terrestrial RFI as observed from space would give valuable information to groups working in the low-frequency regime. For the first phase, the payload will be mounted on to the fourth stage of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s third generation Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which will stay in LEO for several weeks. The payload consists of a pair of orthogonal active monopoles, a simple baseband sampling receiver optimized for recording power spectra from each antenna. The design also aims to detect strong signals of astronomical origin despite RFI. In the second phase, we intend to send a more sophisticated space payload to orbit the moon and subsequently land on its surface.