Also selected was a mission of opportunity which will pinpoint the location of gamma ray bursts in the sky. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Robert P. Lin, University of California, Berkeley. The science team includes scientists from the U.S., Switzerland, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and The Netherlands. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Christopher Martin, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
Bursters emit in a few seconds as much energy as an entire galaxy emits in a year.
The missions were selected under the SMEX program. This program provides frequent flight opportunities for highly focused and relatively inexpensive science missions that typically weigh around 500 pounds or less. Dr. David McComas, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, is the Principal Investigator. To view the Announcement of Opportunity for the selection of the above Missions Click Here .