NASA has selected SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), a cutting-edge gamma-ray space telescope. The mission is set for an August 2027 liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The fixed-price launch contract holds a value of approximately $69 million, according to NASA officials.
COSI, chosen for development and launch in 2021, was initially targeted for a 2025 launch. The mission’s total cost, excluding launch, sits at $145 million. To optimize expenses, NASA extended the design phase (Phase B) and rescheduled the launch to 2027. This strategic move saved $26 million.
COSI to Unveil the Universe’s High-Energy Secrets
This astrophysics project aims to delve into the high-energy universe using gamma rays and explore energetic phenomena both within our Milky Way galaxy and beyond.
Gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, are invisible to the naked eye and often originate from violent celestial events like stellar explosions, supernovas, and the formation of black holes. COSI’s mission is to study these phenomena, offering scientists a new perspective on the universe’s most energetic processes.
Key areas of COSI’s investigation include:
- Gamma-Ray Detection: COSI is designed to detect and image gamma rays in the energy range from approximately 0.2 to 5 MeV. Its wide-field capabilities allow it to scan the sky for high-energy events.
- Gamma-ray polarization studies: Gamma rays can vibrate in a specific direction, a property known as polarization. By studying this phenomenon, COSI might reveal new details about the environments where these rays originate.
- Multi-Messenger Astronomy: COSI will investigate “multi-messenger sources,” cosmic phenomena that emit both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation. This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of the universe.
- Nucleosynthesis sites: This refers to the formation of new elements within stars. COSI’s observations could help identify the stellar furnaces responsible for creating the elements that make up our world.
- Scientific Goals: The telescope will unravel mysteries such as the creation and annihilation of matter and antimatter, the final stages of stars’ lives, and processes around black holes. It will also probe the origins of galactic positrons in the Milky Way and study nucleosynthesis sites.
SpaceX Extends Reach Beyond Launch with ISS Deorbit Project
Meanwhile, the fate of the International Space Station (ISS) has been decided. Participating countries committed to funding the ISS until 2030, after which it will safely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific.
SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, is also working on the US Deorbit Vehicle—a spacecraft to deorbit the ISS. The $843 million project aims to ensure a controlled descent for the aging space station. Originally assigned to Russian engineers, the task shifted to SpaceX due to geopolitical tensions.
