VERTECS

VERTECS [Kyutech]

VERTECS (Visible Extragalactic Background RadiaTion Exploration by CubeSat) is a Japanese 6U CubeSat astronomy mission being developed by a consortium led by Kyushu Institute of Technology in cooperation with JAXA and several universities and industrial partners. The satellite is designed to observe the visible extragalactic background light (EBL) to investigate the history of cosmic star formation. The mission was selected under JAXA's Small Satellite Rush (JAXA-SMASH) program.

The satellite has a standard 6UCubeSat form factor. It is being developed through a collaboration involving Kyushu Institute of Technology, JAXA, Tokyo City University, Kwansei Gakuin University, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Astrobiology Center, Meisei University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanazawa University, the University of Fukui, SEIREN Co., Ltd., and Cosina Co., Ltd.

The primary scientific objective is to measure the visible component of the extragalactic background light, the cumulative radiation emitted by galaxies and other luminous objects throughout the history of the universe. Previous observations have indicated that the near-infrared EBL exceeds the combined light from known galaxies, suggesting the existence of previously unidentified faint sources. Proposed contributors include the first generations of stars, primordial black holes, or diffuse intra-halo light surrounding galaxies.

VERTECS will perform multi-color observations in the visible spectrum to distinguish between these possible sources by measuring their spectral characteristics. The observations are expected to improve understanding of the origin of the excess EBL and provide new constraints on the history of star formation and galaxy evolution.

VERTECS has been launched on the maiden flight of the H-3-30S launch vehicle.