SpaceX Will Launch New NASA Space Detector to Study Neutron Stars
NASA will use SpaceX to launch its new research detector, StarBurst, into orbit. The spacecraft is designed to detect and study short gamma-ray bursts that occur in the Universe when neutron stars collide and merge.
The launch is scheduled for 2028 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The detector will be sent into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Bandwagon rideshare mission. The contract was awarded under NASA’s special VADR program, which focuses on supporting affordable commercial launches and rideshare payloads.
The main task of StarBurst will be to continuously survey the entire portion of the sky that is not obscured by Earth. The detector will record the most powerful gamma-ray bursts. By comparing the data collected with gravitational-wave detections and observations from other telescopes, astronomers will be able to study the most extreme processes in the Universe simultaneously through multiple types of signals.
The project is being carried out as part of the Astrophysics Pioneers initiative. The program helps fund important but relatively low-cost scientific research using compact space platforms.
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