NASA Selects SpaceX to Launch StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector
The small satellite mission will study neutron star mergers and short gamma-ray bursts, launching on a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.
NASA announced it has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for its StarBurst mission, a small satellite designed to investigate neutron star mergers and the origins of short gamma-ray bursts, according to a NASA news release.
The StarBurst spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard a Bandwagon rideshare mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, NASA said. The launch will take place from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, per the agency's announcement.
According to NASA, the mission's primary scientific goal is to study neutron star mergers, cosmic events in which two extremely dense stellar remnants collide, and to further understanding of the origins of short gamma-ray bursts, which are among the most energetic explosions observed in the universe.
NASA did not provide additional details in the release regarding the mission's launch date, cost, or specific instrumentation aboard the StarBurst satellite.
Sources
- NASA Awards Launch Services for StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector — NASA Breaking News
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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