"The interesting thing is that the protons don't get accelerated in the supernova explosion itself, but they get accelerated in what we call the remnant - the shockwave that is created in the explosion and then moves away through theinterstellarmedium, " said Dr Funk.
To get a read on the true nature of the pristine InterstellarMedium (ISM) the space between the stars, we need a dedicated Interstellar Precursor Mission.
He chose this because the supernova that created it blew a giant bubble, known as the Vela nebula, out of the surrounding interstellarmedium, and that bubble is big enough to stand in for the infinite sheet of gas.