NASA has selected SpaceX to launch the StarBurst satellite, a mission designed to detect high-energy gamma-ray bursts. The spacecraft will monitor the sky for signals associated with the merger of neutron stars, which are the dense remnants of massive stars.
The launch is scheduled for no earlier than 2028. The satellite will be deployed as part of the Bandwagon rideshare mission on a Falcon 9 rocket. The flight will lift off from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The mission is part of NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers program, which supports cost-effective research using small satellites. The contract was awarded under the VADR program, which focuses on procuring specialized and rideshare launch services for the agency.
StarBurst aims to capture the initial moments of gamma-ray events to correlate them with gravitational wave observations. By combining data from multiple sources, researchers intend to advance the field of multimessenger astronomy.
