NASA Awards Launch Services for StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector

NASA has chosen SpaceX to provide launch services for its StarBurst mission, a small satellite tasked with investigating neutron star mergers and the origins of short gamma-ray bursts. Scheduled to launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, StarBurst is set to embark on its journey no earlier than 2028.

This mission, overseen by NASA’s VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) contract, aims to observe the entire sky visible from Earth to detect brief, powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Focused on capturing the initial high-energy emission from short gamma-ray bursts, which arise from the merging of dense stellar remnants called neutron stars, the satellite will work in tandem with gravitational-wave measurements and follow-up observations from other telescopes.

This multimessenger astronomy approach will allow researchers to study these cosmic events through multiple signal types. StarBurst is part of NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program, which supports smaller, lower-cost investigations utilizing small spacecraft and other platforms. Managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program Office at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the VADR contract allows NASA to acquire launch services over a 10-year period, with a maximum total contract value of $1 billion.