L-FIRE: A Distributed Aperture CubeSat Radio Telescope

The Low-Frequency Interferometric Radio Explorer (L-FIRE) is a proposed space-based mission concept designed to unlock the low-frequency radio spectrum (1–40 MHz). Regimes below 10 MHz are of particular interest, as they are largely inaccessible from the ground due to ionospheric opacity. L-FIRE will deploy a distributed interferometric observatory composed of 10 or more CubeSats, each carrying a dipole-antenna payload (with multi-axis polarisation capability) and operating as a coordinated, time-synchronised array.

By distributing the constellation across baselines of 50 km (a “cloud” formation), L-FIRE aims to achieve a large effective aperture at long wavelengths, enabling high-sensitivity measurements and imaging of faint, extended and dynamic sources. The mission targets key questions across heliophysics and space weather (e.g., solar radio bursts and particle acceleration signatures), diagnostics of star–planet interactions at low frequencies, and fast radio bursts.

This contribution will present the L-FIRE mission concept and technology approach. We will also outline concrete opportunities for collaboration with industry and consortium partners, including subsystem maturation, payload and RF front-end development, autonomy and operations concepts, and end-to-end verification and test approaches for a distributed radio-astronomy mission.