The GRBBeta mission is a 2U Cubesat
proof-of-concept mission for a small gamma-ray burst detector and is a
follow on from GRBAlpha. It was launched
on July 9, 2024 on an Ariane 6 rocket from the Kourou Spaceport in
French Guiana. The satellite weighs 2.26 kg and is 10 x 10 x 22.7 cm
in size. GRBBeta is an international collabration
between various research institutions, including
the Konkoly Observatory (Hungary), Technical University of Košice
(Slovakia), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), and Hiroshima University
(Japan). Primary funding was provided by the Ministry of Education,
Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic.
It is a proving ground for
the future “Cubesats Applied for Measuring and Localising Transients”
(CAMELOT), a planned constellation of 3U Cubesats to provide continuous
all-sky coverage and accurate localization. GRBBeta carries the same undersized
(1/8 size: 75 x 75 x 5 mm) version of the detectors intended for CAMELOT: sufficient to
demonstrate the mission concept and intercalibrate observed light curves with
existing operational GRB missions. It differs from GRBAlpha in carrying some
new subsystems, such as an advanced positioning module and Iridium satellite
communications network through deployed antennae. The mission also has a secondary
science payload named LuvCAM, a miniature UV camera for astrophysics. It is
primarily an instrumentation testbed to track degradation
of the imaging chip in the space environment
Mission Characteristics
Lifetime :9 July 2024 with one year nominal mission.
Energy Range : 30–900 keV
Special Features : 2U Cubesat configuration for ridesharing launch.
1/8th effective area design to prove CAMELOT mission concept.
Follow on of successful GRBAlpha with new subsystems.
Payload :
- Gamma-ray Detector. A single CsI(Tl) crystal measuring 75 x 75 x 5 mm.
The scintillation
is observed by low voltage lightweight silicon photomultipliers. The detector is
covered with a dark polyvinyl fluoride (tedlar) film in 1 mm aluminium sheet box
mounted on the exterior surface of the satellite.
Science Highlights:
- Charactization of peak intensity and time of bright burst events;
- Prove operational concepts of future CAMELOT satellite constellation, especially
supporting sub-systems;
- Co-observe with gravitational wave detectors and other observatories as part of
multimessenger astronomy.
