NASA is preparing to launch a new robotic mission, Fly Foundational Robots, in late 2027. The mission will feature a technology demonstration of a new gamma-ray sensor, called AstroPix, which is designed to measure high-energy gamma rays.
What are Gamma Rays?
Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light, observed in events such as lightning in Earth’s atmosphere, powerful solar flares, and cosmic collisions in distant galaxies. Current NASA missions, including the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, observe gamma rays, but existing detectors are less sensitive to energies between 500,000 and 1 million electron volts.
This energy range is significant because it’s where many powerful explosions, known as gamma-ray bursts, shine the brightest. It’s also where astronomers expect to see the strongest glow from massive and distant active galaxies powered by black holes. By improving the sensitivity of gamma-ray detectors, scientists can gain a better understanding of these cosmic objects and the processes that create and drive them.
AstroPix Technology
The AstroPix technology demonstration consists of a chip with four silicon pixel gamma-ray detectors, each incorporating 1,225 pixels. These detectors function similarly to the sensors in cellphone cameras, but are sensitive to gamma-ray light. The AstroPix Satellite Technology dEmonstration Payload (A-STEP) will be hosted within the Fly Foundational Robots mission’s Orbital Replacement Unit, a movable module built by Rocket Lab Robotics.
The A-STEP payload will collect data after the robotic arm repositions the unit during flight. The robotic arm, provided by Motiv Space Systems, will perform a technology demonstration in orbit, including picking up and moving a small box containing the AstroPix gamma-ray sensors.
Mission Objectives
The primary goal of the Fly Foundational Robots mission is to demonstrate robotic changeout of payloads in orbit, enabling upgrades or improvements to satellites and space instruments at a fraction of the cost of a full mission. The integration of the AstroPix technology demonstration is a bonus, allowing the team to test the performance of the gamma-ray sensors in orbit.
The AstroPix team is working to deliver their hardware in September, which will be integrated into the Fly Foundational Robots payload before final integration onto the spacecraft. The Orbital Replacement Unit will hold the chips and all the associated electronics needed to provide power, collect, and transmit data during flight.
Implications and Future Directions
The success of the AstroPix technology demonstration could have significant implications for future NASA missions. By stacking AstroPix detectors, scientists could bridge the gap in existing detectors and improve observations of gamma-ray bursts and active galaxies. This could lead to a better understanding of the processes that create and drive these cosmic objects.
The development of AstroPix was supported by NASA’s Astrophysics Division, and the mission is funded through the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s ISAM portfolio. The integration of the AstroPix technology demonstration into the Fly Foundational Robots mission is a testament to the agency’s commitment to advancing our understanding of the universe.
- The Fly Foundational Robots mission will launch in late 2027.
- The AstroPix technology demonstration will test the performance of new gamma-ray sensors in orbit.
- The mission will demonstrate robotic changeout of payloads in orbit, enabling upgrades or improvements to satellites and space instruments.
Source: science.nasa.gov.
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