Scientists at the University of Southampton are developing a novel detector to search for dark matter by levitating graphite in microgravity. The device, planned for launch into space in early 2026 aboard the Jovian-1 satellite, will seek anomalies indicative of dark matter's nature.
Physicist Tim Fuchs explains that dark matter, while crucial to the universe's structure, remains undetectable. The Jovian-1 mission, a shoebox-sized satellite, will host experiments from the Universities of Southampton, Portsmouth, and Surrey. It aims to detect dark matter by making graphite extremely sensitive to small forces in zero gravity.
The mission represents a novel approach, potentially demonstrating the detectability of dark matter above Earth, addressing concerns that terrestrial experiments have failed due to atmospheric interference. Even without direct detection, the results could provide valuable insights into dark matter's properties.