CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has selected SpaceX to launch its new Starburst satellite into orbit aboard a Falcon nine rocket. The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The Starburst satellite is set to scan the sky, capturing high-energy gamma rays emitted from neutron stars. The data collected will help NASA unravel the fascinating ways our universe produces heavy metals like gold and platinum.
The satellite will launch on a SpaceX rideshare mission, awarded by NASA as a firm-fixed-price task order under the VADR contract.
Falcon 9 will launch @NASA's StarBurst satellite aboard a bandwagon rideshare mission no earlier than 2028 to study neutron stars and gamma-ray bursts
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 18, 2026
The mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than 2028.
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