In five years, an artificial Sun 2.0 will orbit Earth.

NASA has approved a new satellite mission called Landolt, during which an artificial star will be launched into Earth's orbit, reports SciTechDaily.

According to the space agency's plan, the artificial star in orbit will emit light with a precisely defined brightness that will remain constant. This will aid astronomers in measuring the brightness of real stars. Scientists believe this will enhance our understanding of stars, including distant supernovae, as well as the planets orbiting them. Astronomers hope it will also help unravel the mysteries of dark energy, which is responsible for the expansion of the universe.

The mission is expected to cost $19.5 million.

"Even with the most advanced measurement tools, we cannot obtain accurate data on the true brightness of stars. The Landolt mission will improve our measurements by more than 10 times," says David Chiardi, deputy director of NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI).

The mission is anticipated to launch in 2029.

NASA also notes that the mission is named after astronomer Arlo Landolt, who compiled widely used catalogs of stellar brightness released in 1973, 1982, and 1992. The astronomer passed away in 2022.

The mission's concept involves launching a light source into Earth's orbit that emits photons at a precise rate.

Subsequently, astronomers will be able to compare the luminosity of the artificial star with real stars to create new catalogs of stellar brightness.

The artificial star will be positioned in Earth's orbit at an altitude of 35,785 kilometers. This altitude will allow the spacecraft to appear as a star to telescopes on Earth. Such an orbit will also enable the satellite to remain stationary, rotating at the same speed as Earth. Thus, the satellite will consistently stay above the United States throughout its main mission, which will last for one year.

As a reminder, astronomers have discovered the fastest spinning star in the universe. The identified neutron star spins at the same rate around its axis as another similar object. Therefore, there are now two known fastest stars.