Descripción del proyecto
Nanosatélites para observar la radiación de alta energía en el espacio
El objetivo del proyecto HERMES-SP, financiado con fondos europeos, es diseñar una constelación de nanosatélites que orbiten cerca de la Tierra. Cada nanosatélite estará equipado con una carga útil en miniatura para detectar estallidos de rayos gamma, así como las contrapartes electromagnéticas de fenómenos de ondas gravitatorias. Las cargas útiles sencillas y miniaturizadas reducen el coste de poner en órbita una nave espacial en uno o dos órdenes de magnitud, al tiempo que favorecen que el vehículo espacial pase de la fase de conceptualización a la de puesta en práctica en unos pocos años. Un sensor de bóveda celeste eficaz y con buena capacidad de localización desempeñará un papel esencial en la astrofísica de mensajeros múltiples durante el próximo decenio.
Objetivo
HERMES (High Energy Rapid Modular Ensemble of Satellites) Scientific Pathfinder (HERMES-SP) is a mission concept based on a constellation of nano-satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), hosting new miniaturized detectors to probe the X-ray temporal emission of bright high-energy transients such as Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) and the electromagnetic counterparts of Gravitational Wave Events (GWE).
HERMES-SP main goal is to design and implement the first GRBs localisation experiment through a distributed space architecture realized by a 3 +3 CubeSat federation, each equipped with the novel detector to gain a wide deep space coverage and demonstrate capabilities in precisely localising the GRB event in space.
HERMES-SP exploits synergies with an ongoing project funded by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI).
GRB localisation is gained by comparing time delays among the same event detection epochs occurred on - at least - 3 detectors spaced out on different satellites. Distribution in space and event detection are the fundamental ingredient to start building up the whole scientific experiment.
HERMES-SP is aiming at demonstrating detection and localisation of high-energy transients feasibility with disruptive technologies and limited effort: simple payload on nano-satellites and a disruptive level of cost-effectiveness: 1-2 order of magnitude cost lower than that standard space projects (ESA class M mission, NASA Explorer mission), 1 order of magnitude lower lifecycle compared with 10-15 years for standard Space Science projects.
The HERMES-SP represents also a step forward the HERMES Full Constellation (HERMES-FC), supposed to further increase the distributed detection points in space with several tents of detector-equipped CubeSats in LEO which timely and completely monitor the Universe listening for and chasing GWEs. It is, therefore preparatory for a proposal to European Entities (Commission, Space Agency), for the HERMES-FC implementation.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SPACE-2018
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
00136 Roma
Italia