We present the design of the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) mission concept that intends to carry out unprecedented measurements of this signal by deploying a 350m-diameter parabolic reflector mesh inside a lunar crater on the far side of the Moon and suspending a receiver at its focus. Our concept of operations employs a single lander which launches a sequence of projectile anchors onto the rim of the crater, establishing ‘lift wires’ that are then used to hoist the feed antenna followed by the deployment of the folded mesh reflector. We also describe the rationale for crater selection and technological solutions for achieving desired shape accuracy and thermal performance with our design.
