The MegaWave Radio Surveyor

@misc{lazio2026megawave,
  title = {{The MegaWave Radio Surveyor}},
  author = {T. Joseph W. Lazio and Evgenya Shkolnik and James Aguirre and Stuart D. Bale and Judd Bowman and Ruby Byrne and Joseph Callingham and Tracy E. Clarke and Ivey Davis and Tim Dolch and Peter Driscoll and Anastasia Fialkov and Steven Furlanetto and Simona Giacintucci and Ravit Helled and Jacqueline Hewitt and Phil Hopkins and Andrea Isella and Daniel Jacobs and Eloy de Lera Acedo and Melodie M. Kao and Mary Knapp and L. V. E. Koopmans and Nicholas Kern and Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway and Susan T. Lepri and R. O. Parke Loyd and James P. Lux and James P. Mason and Raul Monsalve and Miguel Morales and Julian B. Muñoz and Rachel Osten and J. Sebastian Pineda and Jonathan Pober and Sam B. Ponnada and Leslie A. Rogers and Saurabh Singh and Jake D. Turner and Jackie Villadsen and Philippe Zarka and John ZuHorne and Ellen Zweibel},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.26322},
  eprint = {2608.26322},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.26322},
  note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}

TY  - UNPB
TI  - The MegaWave Radio Surveyor
AU  - T. Joseph W. Lazio
AU  - Evgenya Shkolnik
AU  - James Aguirre
AU  - Stuart D. Bale
AU  - Judd Bowman
AU  - Ruby Byrne
AU  - Joseph Callingham
AU  - Tracy E. Clarke
AU  - Ivey Davis
AU  - Tim Dolch
AU  - Peter Driscoll
AU  - Anastasia Fialkov
AU  - Steven Furlanetto
AU  - Simona Giacintucci
AU  - Ravit Helled
AU  - Jacqueline Hewitt
AU  - Phil Hopkins
AU  - Andrea Isella
AU  - Daniel Jacobs
AU  - Eloy de Lera Acedo
AU  - Melodie M. Kao
AU  - Mary Knapp
AU  - L. V. E. Koopmans
AU  - Nicholas Kern
AU  - Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway
AU  - Susan T. Lepri
AU  - R. O. Parke Loyd
AU  - James P. Lux
AU  - James P. Mason
AU  - Raul Monsalve
AU  - Miguel Morales
AU  - Julian B. Muñoz
AU  - Rachel Osten
AU  - J. Sebastian Pineda
AU  - Jonathan Pober
AU  - Sam B. Ponnada
AU  - Leslie A. Rogers
AU  - Saurabh Singh
AU  - Jake D. Turner
AU  - Jackie Villadsen
AU  - Philippe Zarka
AU  - John ZuHorne
AU  - Ellen Zweibel
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/28
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.26322
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.26322
AB  - Several Decadal-level questions in astrophysics, exoplanets, astrobiology, and cosmology can be addressed only at low radio frequencies inaccessible from Earth. The MegaWave Radio Surveyor would open this largely-unexplored region of the electromagnetic spectrum with a space-based interferometer to (1)~Track the space weather of other stars; (2)~Detect magnetically-generated emission from exoplanets to probe their interiors and assess magnetic shielding of their atmospheres; (3)~Probe the Universe's evolution during the Dark Ages via the highly-redshifted HI hyperfine line; and (4)~Assess the role of cosmic rays and magnetic fields in the cosmic web. An Astrophysics Strategic Technology & Research Accelerator (ASTRA) Initiative concept, the MegaWave Radio Surveyor's science objectives respond to the Pathways to Discovery Decadal Survey and three other National Academies studies, and it would serve as a Formative Era mission in the Enduring Quests, Daring Visions roadmap. Developments in U.S. space industries enable this observatory to be realized. The MegaWave Radio Surveyor would offer a versatile, scalable, and resilient architecture capable of sensitive and simultaneous observations below 45~MHz and unprecedented angular resolution at these frequencies. The concept builds upon NASA's Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE), Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS), and Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment (LuSEE-Night). The MegaWave Radio Surveyor could leverage multiple elements of the Artemis program, such as access to and beyond cislunar space and communications, and there are opportunities to infuse new autonomy/AI modes for mission operations. By opening one of the last windows in the electromagnetic spectrum and pioneering space interferometry at unprecedented scales, the MegaWave Radio Surveyor would establish a transformational capability.
ER  -