The Dark-Ages Explorer (DEX) is a new ESA mission concept for a low-frequency radio array on the lunar farside, designed to probe the unexplored redshift range of the Dark Ages and early Cosmic Dawn (z ≈ 25–200) via the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen. Accessing this regime will open a unique window on fundamental physics, enabling stringent tests of dark-matter models, inflationary initial conditions, and exotic energy-injection scenarios—measurements impossible from Earth due to radio interference and ionospheric absorption. Precursor initiatives are laying the foundation: the Global Dark Ages Explorer (GloDEX) will target the sky-averaged 21-cm signal, while PreDEX will demonstrate lunar interferometry by correlating dipole signals. Building on these, DEX is conceived as a scalable, filled-aperture interferometric array to be delivered by ESA’s Argonaut lander and deployed autonomously by rover. From its pristine, radio-quiet environment, DEX will enable tomographic imaging of the first hydrogen structures and explore complementary science frontiers, including exoplanetary radio emission and heliospheric physics. This presentation will outline the DEX concept, its scientific promise, and its synergies with other farside missions (LuSEE-Night, FARSIDE/FarView, DSL, Pratush), and will discuss key technological and operational challenges—deployment, power, data handling, calibration, and long-term stability—on the path to the first true Dark-Ages observatory on the Moon.

Léon V.E. KOOPMANS 教授是格罗宁根大学卡普坦天文研究所的正教授兼前科学主任，他于该校先后获得学士学位（1995年）和博士学位（2000年，优等荣誉）。在曼彻斯特大学完成短期博士后工作后，他于2000年加入加州理工学院担任研究员，并保持客座职位至2004年。2002年末，他出任巴尔的摩空间望远镜科学研究所的机构研究员，随后于2004年返回格罗宁根大学任教。他的研究涵盖引力透镜效应、星系演化及21厘米宇宙学等领域，当前工作重点通过观测中性氢红移21厘米谱线探索宇宙黎明与再电离时期。他是LOFAR、NenuFAR和SKA-Low等项目的核心负责人，并参与即将开展的太空任务如黑暗时代探测器（DEX）和月球表面电磁学实验（LuSEE-Night）。其更广泛的研究兴趣包括将天体物理实验与高性能计算、先进校准及数据分析方法相结合。

Prof. Léon V.E. KOOPMANS is a full professor and former scientific director of the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute at the University of Groningen, where he also obtained his undergraduate (1995) and PhD (2000, cum laude) degrees. Following a brief postdoctoral appointment at the University of Manchester, he joined the California Institute of Technology in 2000 as a research fellow, maintaining a visiting position until 2004. In late 2002, he became Institute Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore before returning to Groningen in 2004 to join the faculty. His research spans gravitational lensing, galaxy evolution, and 21-cm cosmology, with current work focused on probing the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Reionization through observations of the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen. He leads major efforts within LOFAR, NenuFAR, and SKA-Low, and is involved in upcoming space-based missions such as the Dark Ages Explorer (DEX) and LuSEE-Night. His broader interests include connecting astrophysical experiments with high-performance computing, advanced calibration, and data-analysis methodologies.