What To Know
- THE Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a telescope at gamma rays wide-field spacecraft designed to study diverse energetic phenomena in the Milky Way and beyond.
- Selected for development and launch by NASA in 2021, COSI is an astrophysics mission with a total cost of $145 million (not including launch costs).
- NASA has once again chosen the Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX to launch COSI into orbit, marking a new milestone in the collaboration between the two entities.
NASA recently announced a major collaboration with SpaceX to launch the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) into orbit. The telescope, designed to study the Universe using high-energy gamma rays, will be launched into orbit by the Falcon 9 rocket in August 2027. The mission, which has generated great interest in the scientific community, represents a significant advancement in astrophysics and space exploration.
A cutting-edge telescope to explore the Universe
THE Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a telescope at gamma rays wide-field spacecraft designed to study diverse energetic phenomena in the Milky Way and beyond. Selected for development and launch by NASA in 2021, COSI is an astrophysics mission with a total cost of $145 million (not including launch costs). COSI is distinguished by its ability to observe and analyze gamma rays, a form of very energetic electromagnetic radiation. Because of their high energy, these rays are emitted by some of the most powerful and extreme phenomena in the Universe, such as supernovae, black holes and neutron stars.
What are its objectives?
Specific objectives of COSI include: the study of the origins of galactic positrons. In other words, COSI will seek to understand where positrons (antimatter particles) come from in the Milky Way. It will also study the nucleosynthesis sites. This means that the telescope will look to identify places where new elements are being created in our galaxy. COSI will also analyze how gamma rays are oriented when they movewhich can provide information on the processes that generated them. Finally, part of its mission will be focused on the search for equivalent to multi-messenger sources. In detail, these are cosmic objects or events that can be observed by several types of signals such as gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation. This means that COSI will be able to study astronomical phenomena using different observation methods to obtain a more complete picture.
An illustration of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI). Credits: NASA
SpaceX: a trusted partner
NASA has once again chosen the Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX to launch COSI into orbit, marking a new milestone in the collaboration between the two entities.announcement was made on Tuesday. The Falcon 9 rocket, known for its reliability and relatively low cost, was an obvious choice for this critical mission. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has indeed become a key player in the aerospace industry thanks to its innovations and its ability to launch frequent and varied missions. The launch of COSI is scheduled in August 2027 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The fixed-price launch contract for the mission is worth $69 million.
