BurstCube Operations

In 2017 we proposed to design, build, and fly BurstCube: a small CubeSat with the aim to detect and characterize short gamma-ray bursts that are counterparts of gravitational wave sources. BurstCube is a '6U' CubeSat (each 'U' is approximately 10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm so that a '6U' is approximately10 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm) with a '4U' instrument package. The instrument consists of four CsI scintillators read out by arrays of Silicon Photo-multipliers. It will detect photons from approximately 50 keV to 1 MeV and roughly localize gamma-ray transients on the sky, rapidly sending alerts to the ground which will enable follow-up at other wavelengths and at greater sensitivity. The BurstCube project began in the Fall of 2017 with a period of performance of 5 years. It currently has a projected launch readiness date of 2022. BurstCube has completed all major design reviews, the instrument is assembled, calibrated, and tested and will be integrated with the spacecraft soon. We are currently manifested for a launch with NanoRacks in late 2022 or early 2023. The COVID pandemic caused an approximately 1 year delay to the BurstCube mission and operations will begin after the period of performance of the original grant ends. In this proposal we request support for two years of BurstCube operations.