GRBAlpha
GRBAlpha is a 1U CubeSat carrying a 75 x 75 x 5 mm CsI(Tl) scintillator, read out by a dual-channel multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC) setup, to detect gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The GRB detector is an in-orbit demonstration for the detector system on the Cubesats Applied for Measuring and localising transients (CAMELOT) mission. While GRBAlpha provides 1/8th of the expected effective area of CAMELOT, the comparison of the observed light curves with other existing GRB monitoring satellites allowed us to validate the core idea of CAMELOT, i.e. the feasibility of timing-based localization.
Spacemanic’s Role
Spacemanic delivered the CubeSat platform and subsystems:
- RA Solar panels
- EDDIE On-board computer
- CELESTE GNSS receiver
- & customized motherboards
- Satellite design & development
- Launch campaign management
- Licensing and frequency coordination
- Support to the payload team
- Environmental testing campaign
- Integration services
Specifications
Size
Weight
Radio
Orbit height
Orbit type
Launch vehicle
Launch date
Status
Decay date
1U
1 195 g
145.905 MHz (VHF)
Sun-synchronous
Soyuz
March 22, 2021
June 9, 2025
1 540 days