  In this paper, the first in a series of four articles, the scientific goals
of the Metron project are highlighted, and the characteristics of the cosmic
objects available for study within its framework are provided. The Metron
interferometer radio telescope should include arrays of meter-range dipole
antennas placed on Earth, in outer space or on the far side of the Moon (or a
combination of these options). Working in the meter range will enable the study
of the so-called cosmological epoch of ``Dark Ages'', which is challenging to
observe but highly interesting for understanding the origin of the first stars,
galaxies, and black holes, as well as for the search for new cosmological
objects and processes. One possibility is to search for absorption in the 21 cm
line within extended halos around early protogalaxies and supermassive
primordial black holes, whose existence is predicted in a number of models.
Another goal of Metron may be to clarify the anomalous absorption in the 21 cm
line previously detected by the EDGES telescopes and to observe radio emissions
from stars' and exoplanets' magnetospheres. The Metron project aims to achieve
unprecedented resolution for the meter range, which is expected to yield new
world-class scientific results. Meter-range antennas and receivers are
relatively simple and inexpensive, and the construction of interferometric
arrays from them can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
