The Africa2Moon mission, Africa’s first fully African-led lunar exploration initiative, aims to send a set of antennas to the surface of the Moon. The project brings together African scientists and engineers, with participation from Rhodes University in South Africa. The mission seeks to open a new window into the Universe by studying radio frequencies that telescopes on Earth cannot easily observe.
How the Africa2Moon Mission Will Explore Space
The Africa2Moon mission represents an important step forward for space science in Africa. The project plans to place small radio telescopes on the Moon that can work together to observe signals coming from space. In addition, the initiative aims to demonstrate that African researchers and companies can develop technologies for complex space missions.
In 2025, the mission was selected to travel aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission, which is planned to reach the lunar south pole region in 2029. If everything goes according to plan, Africa2Moon could become the first radio interferometer to operate on the lunar surface.
The project also has an educational purpose. Besides scientific research, the mission aims to involve students, universities, research centers, and engineering companies from different African countries. In this way, the technology developed through the project could help train specialists in areas such as radio engineering, systems integration, and space mission design.
Therefore, the initiative is not simply about sending scientific equipment to the Moon. It also seeks to strengthen Africa’s technological capabilities and encourage a new generation of researchers to participate in international space exploration projects.
Why the Moon Is an Ideal Location for Radio Astronomy
The choice of the Moon is connected to an important limitation in Earth-based astronomy. Earth’s atmosphere blocks radio waves at frequencies below approximately 20 MHz. As a result, researchers cannot directly observe part of the radio spectrum when using telescopes on Earth.
The Moon provides particularly interesting conditions for overcoming this limitation. Since it has virtually no atmosphere, its surface can receive radio signals that do not easily reach observatories on Earth. Furthermore, during the lunar night, the far side of the Moon is protected from much of the radio interference produced by human activity and from solar radiation.
For this reason, a radio telescope placed on the far side of the Moon could observe a region of the sky that remains almost inaccessible to instruments located on Earth. This capability could help scientists investigate cosmic phenomena that are still poorly understood.
The project becomes even more significant because low-frequency radio waves can provide information about the early history of the Universe and about different astronomical objects and phenomena. Consequently, exploring this part of the spectrum could reveal information that conventional telescopes cannot detect.
How the Small Antennas Will Work on the Moon
Instead of building one enormous telescope, Africa2Moon is taking a different approach. The project plans to use small spheres called BALLS, short for Bounced African Low Lunar Spheres. After reaching the lunar surface, these structures could move apart and form an antenna array.
The demonstration version selected for the Chang’e-8 mission will contain three spheres. Each sphere will be approximately 30 centimeters in diameter, weigh less than four kilograms, and carry its own antennas, electronic components, and solar power system.
Each sphere will also operate as an independent receiver. The equipment is expected to work for at least six Earth days while collecting signals from different sources. These sources will include Earth, the Sun, our Galaxy, and the lunar surface.
During the observations, researchers will be able to combine the data collected by the different antennas. This technique allows several separate receivers to work together as parts of a single scientific instrument. Therefore, even with relatively small structures, the team will be able to test technology capable of carrying out radio astronomy observations from the Moon.
The three-sphere demonstrator represents only the first stage. The complete mission aims to significantly increase the number of antennas deployed on the lunar surface.
The Role of Rhodes University in the Mission
Rhodes University plays an important role in the project through its Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques and Technologies, known as RATT. Professor Oleg Smirnov, a researcher at the university, serves as the lead radio astronomy scientist for Africa2Moon.
The RATT group’s experience will help address one of the mission’s main challenges: turning very weak radio signals collected by multiple antennas into useful scientific information. The team has already developed expertise through work on major radio astronomy projects, including the MeerKAT telescope and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
This experience becomes particularly valuable in a lunar environment. The antennas will be separated from one another and will need to operate in coordination. Researchers will therefore have to combine the signals accurately to produce more detailed observations of the sky.
At the same time, the university’s participation demonstrates how scientific expertise developed in Africa can contribute to space exploration projects. Knowledge gained from ground-based observatories is now being adapted for a mission beyond Earth.
In this way, Africa2Moon creates a connection between radio astronomy developed in Africa and the next generation of lunar exploration.
What Africa Could Gain from Lunar Exploration
Africa2Moon also has an objective that goes beyond scientific research. The project aims to provide African students and professionals with opportunities to develop skills related to space science and engineering.
The growth of African radio astronomy over recent decades has helped create a scientific foundation for projects like this. Initiatives such as MeerKAT and the SKA have increased Africa’s experience in areas including signal processing, radio engineering, and large-scale data analysis.
Now, some of this knowledge can move into space. The mission aims to involve different African institutions and companies, creating opportunities for researchers from several countries to collaborate.
Furthermore, the full project has an ambitious goal: placing 55 antennas on the far side of the Moon, representing the 55 African countries. Although the initial mission will use only three spheres as a technology demonstration, this goal shows the scale that Africa2Moon could reach in the future.
Consequently, the initiative could have an impact beyond the scientific results produced by the instruments. The mission could help develop technical skills, encourage new research, and show young Africans that they can also participate in major space exploration projects.
A New Chapter for African Space Science
Africa2Moon places Africa at the center of one of modern astronomy’s most interesting challenges: observing the Universe from the lunar surface. By using small antennas that can work together, the mission aims to explore radio frequencies that remain inaccessible to Earth-based telescopes.
Although the first launch will serve mainly as a technology demonstration, its results could guide future stages of the project. In addition, collaboration between universities, researchers, and companies could strengthen Africa’s ability to develop space technologies.
Therefore, Africa2Moon is about more than simply placing antennas on the Moon. The initiative also represents an effort to take scientific knowledge developed in Africa beyond Earth and create new opportunities for researchers across the continent.
Read original: Latest News – Africa builds the radio telescope bound for the Moon
Also read: New Telescope Could Reshape Our View Of The Cosmos – Scitke – Science and Technology
