NASA’s compact satellite, BurstCube, has embarked on its voyage to the International Space Station (ISS), a laboratory for scientific exploration. The spacecraft caught a ride aboard SpaceX’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services mission.
It was launched at 4:55 pm EDT on Thursday (Mar 21) from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, US. BurstCube, a NASA initiative, has been crafted to detect and pinpoint gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
GRBs represent potent explosions transpiring in far-flung galaxies and rank among the most vigorous phenomena in the cosmos. BurstCube endeavors to scrutinize these bursts to enhance comprehension of their origins and characteristics.
Upon arrival at the station, BurstCube will be unpacked and subsequently deployed into orbit.
“BurstCube may be diminutive, but in addition to investigating these extraordinary phenomena, it’s evaluating novel technology and furnishing invaluable experience for fledgling astronomers and aerospace engineers,” remarked Jeremy Perkins, BurstCube’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to arise from the merging of two neutron stars. These stars gradually spiral inward, culminating in a merger due to gravitational wave emission.
These bursts contribute to the genesis of heavy elements such as gold or iodine. GRBs are associated with exceedingly high-energy conditions, including elevated temperatures and densities, fostering the synthesis of heavy elements.
BurstCube’s detectors are strategically situated to enable broad-area detection and localization of events, as outlined by research scientist Israel Martinez at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Goddard.
“Our ongoing gamma-ray missions can only survey approximately 70 per cent of the sky at any given moment due to Earth obstructing their view. Enhancing our coverage with satellites like BurstCube heightens the likelihood of capturing more bursts coinciding with gravitational wave detections.”
The satellite’s primary instrument adeptly captures gamma rays within the energy range of 50,000 to 1 million electron volts.
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