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<p>This study aims to answer a fundamental question humans have long asked: Are we alone? The goal is to couple swarm technology with CubeSats as telescopes for exploring exoplanets by capturing the difference in brightness, called gravitational microlensing. Recent data shows that 29 active space telescopes exist, of which only three can discover distant and rogue exoplanets, since most telescopes require additional resources. We propose a system of 12U CubeSats, each satellite called a node, equipped with a reflexive telescope of Cassegrain design and CMOS detectors to observe at multiple wavelengths, enforcing gravity microlensing. Distributive Model Predictive Control and Behaviour Control enable precise coordination between each node in the constellation, collectively acting as a single telescope with a significant effective aperture. These allow for simultaneous detection of the subtle dimming of starlight in (rogue) exoplanets microlensing a distant star. Each node captures data as light curves and this data is run through thresholding techniques, such as Outlier Thresholding, to distinguish potential events from noise fluctuations. The processed data is communicated to the ground through the nodes, where the receiving node verifies any information lost. Each satellite finds and selects the path having the shortest distance and cost, achieved through heuristics. We expect a swarm telescope’s superior sensitivity system to facilitate the detection of smaller and more distant exoplanets, both rogue and in an orbiting system. Their continuous monitoring and wide field significantly increase the probability of microlensing event detection by about 80% and increase sky coverage by about 50%. This data can be used to reconstruct properties of the exoplanet, such as mass and orbital trajectory. Aligned with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals 16 and 17, a swarm telescope system could foster potential collaboration among countries and ultimately promote peace and sustainability. By potentially revealing a new class of exoplanets, this swarm CubeSat telescope poses the ability to revolutionize our understanding of planetary system formation and the possibility of life beyond our solar system.</p>

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Unveiling Rogue Exoplanets: Swarm Cubesat Telescope

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月21日

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  • Ankitha Kamath,
  • Shreya Umesh

摘要

This study aims to answer a fundamental question humans have long asked: Are we alone? The goal is to couple swarm technology with CubeSats as telescopes for exploring exoplanets by capturing the difference in brightness, called gravitational microlensing. Recent data shows that 29 active space telescopes exist, of which only three can discover distant and rogue exoplanets, since most telescopes require additional resources. We propose a system of 12U CubeSats, each satellite called a node, equipped with a reflexive telescope of Cassegrain design and CMOS detectors to observe at multiple wavelengths, enforcing gravity microlensing. Distributive Model Predictive Control and Behaviour Control enable precise coordination between each node in the constellation, collectively acting as a single telescope with a significant effective aperture. These allow for simultaneous detection of the subtle dimming of starlight in (rogue) exoplanets microlensing a distant star. Each node captures data as light curves and this data is run through thresholding techniques, such as Outlier Thresholding, to distinguish potential events from noise fluctuations. The processed data is communicated to the ground through the nodes, where the receiving node verifies any information lost. Each satellite finds and selects the path having the shortest distance and cost, achieved through heuristics. We expect a swarm telescope’s superior sensitivity system to facilitate the detection of smaller and more distant exoplanets, both rogue and in an orbiting system. Their continuous monitoring and wide field significantly increase the probability of microlensing event detection by about 80% and increase sky coverage by about 50%. This data can be used to reconstruct properties of the exoplanet, such as mass and orbital trajectory. Aligned with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals 16 and 17, a swarm telescope system could foster potential collaboration among countries and ultimately promote peace and sustainability. By potentially revealing a new class of exoplanets, this swarm CubeSat telescope poses the ability to revolutionize our understanding of planetary system formation and the possibility of life beyond our solar system.