NASA Picks SpaceX for StarBurst Launch, Targeting 2028

NASA has awarded SpaceX a firm‑fixed‑price task order under its VADR launch services contract to launch the StarBurst small satellite on a Falcon 9 rideshare from Cape Canaveral no earlier than 2028. StarBurst will scan the sky outside Earth’s shadow for short gamma‑ray bursts produced by neutron‑star mergers, and will combine its high‑energy observations with gravitational‑wave data and other telescopes to enable multimessenger studies. The mission is part of NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program, which funds low‑cost, small‑satellite investigations. The VADR contract allows NASA to procure launch services over a ten‑year period, capped at $1 billion in total value. The launch will provide the first dedicated platform for observing the prompt emission of short gamma‑ray bursts.