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StarBurst

StarBurst is a SmallSat that will detect high-energy gamma rays from events such as the mergers of dense stellar remnants called neutron stars.

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StarBurst Observatory

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Meet the StarBurst Team

The StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer is a wide-field gamma-ray observatory designed to detect the initial emission of short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs), important electromagnetic (EM) indicators of neutron star (NS) mergers. With an effective area over five times that of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and complete visibility of the unobscured sky, StarBurst will conduct sensitive observations. It will work alongside gravitational wave detectors to identify EM counterparts to NS mergers. Designed as a SmallSat, StarBurst is planned to launch into Low Earth Orbit as a secondary payload via the ESPA Grande interface, with a mission duration of one year starting in 2027.

Mission Type

Gamma-ray Astronomy

Partners

Space Flight Laboratory and Naval Research Lab

Launch

2027

Landing

1 to 3 years

StarBurst News

Engineers in clean suits work to unbox the StarBurst instrument at Marshall Space Flight Center

Understanding Cosmic Explosions: StarBurst Arrives at NASA for Testing

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Additional still from animation. As neutron stars collide, some of the debris blasts away in particle jets moving at nearly the speed of light, producing a brief burst of gamma rays. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab

NASA Selects 4 Concepts for Small Missions to Study Universe’s Secrets

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StarBurst Artist Rendering

Feb 7, 2024

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Fermi

Overview Fermi observes light with energies thousands to hundreds of billions of times greater than what our eyes can detect. The energy of the light we can see ranges from…

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