# BurstCube

> NASA CubeSat launched from the International Space Station in 2024

**Wikidata**: [Q130504120](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130504120)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/burstcube

## Summary
BurstCube is a NASA CubeSat built and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center that carried a gamma-ray telescope and was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. It was launched from Cape Canaveral on 2024-03-21 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX CRS-30 mission), deployed from the ISS on 2024-04-18, and reentered the atmosphere on 2024-09-16.

## Key Facts
- BurstCube is a NASA CubeSat operated and manufactured by Goddard Space Flight Center.  
- Launch to orbit occurred on 2024-03-21 at 20:55:09 UTC from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 (part of SpaceX CRS-30).  
- Deployment from the International Space Station occurred on 2024-04-18.  
- Atmospheric entry (decay) occurred on 2024-09-16.  
- BurstCube carried a gamma-ray telescope as its scientific instrument.  
- Instance/class: CubeSat (listed as a former entity after decay).  
- Physical dimensions: width 20 cm, height 30 cm, length 10 cm.  
- Power: spacecraft solar array (two arrays indicated).  
- Identifiers: COSPAR ID 1998-067WM; NSSDCA ID BURSTCUBE; internal scn 59562.  
- Official mission information hosted by NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/burstcube/ and by GSFC HEASARC: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/heasarc/missions/burstcube.html

## FAQs
### Q: What is BurstCube?
A: BurstCube is a NASA CubeSat built and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center that carried a gamma-ray telescope into low Earth orbit in 2024.

### Q: When and how did BurstCube reach orbit and the ISS?
A: BurstCube was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 on 2024-03-21 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 as part of the SpaceX CRS-30 mission, and it was later deployed from the International Space Station on 2024-04-18.

### Q: What payload did BurstCube carry and who operated it?
A: BurstCube carried a gamma-ray telescope as its scientific instrument and was manufactured and operated by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

## Why It Matters
BurstCube is an example of using CubeSat-class spacecraft to carry scientific payloads into space. By hosting a gamma-ray telescope on a small, standardized CubeSat form factor, BurstCube demonstrated that compact satellites can be used to field spaceborne scientific instruments. Its launch on a Falcon 9 Block 5 and subsequent deployment from the ISS illustrate a practical launch-and-deploy pathway for CubeSats: delivery as cargo to the ISS followed by deployment into orbit. The mission produced a complete operational cycle in 2024, from launch (2024-03-21) and ISS deployment (2024-04-18) through atmospheric entry (2024-09-16), providing a concrete case study in short-duration CubeSat missions, mission logistics, and the use of small platforms for targeted scientific measurements in gamma-ray astronomy. Operated and manufactured by Goddard Space Flight Center, BurstCube contributes to NASA’s portfolio of small-satellite missions and to the broader adoption of CubeSats for focused scientific experiments.

## Notable For
- Being a NASA Goddard-built CubeSat that carried a gamma-ray telescope into low Earth orbit.  
- Launch on 2024-03-21 from Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9 Block 5 as part of the SpaceX CRS-30 cargo mission.  
- Deployment from the International Space Station on 2024-04-18.  
- Compact physical dimensions (20 cm × 30 cm × 10 cm) and solar-array power (two arrays).  
- Registered identifiers: COSPAR 1998-067WM and NSSDCA ID BURSTCUBE.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: BurstCube.  
- Class: CubeSat (listed as a former entity following reentry).  
- Operator / Manufacturer: Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA).  
- Scientific payload: gamma-ray telescope.

### Timeline and Mission Events
- Rocket launch: 2024-03-21 (20:55:09 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5; associated with SpaceX CRS-30.  
- Deployment from ISS: 2024-04-18.  
- Time of orbit decay / atmospheric entry: 2024-09-16.

### Launch Details
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5.  
- Launch site / start point: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40.  
- Mission context: transported to the ISS as cargo and subsequently deployed into orbit.

### Physical Characteristics and Power
- Dimensions: width 20 cm; height 30 cm; length 10 cm.  
- Power system: spacecraft solar array (two arrays indicated).

### Payload and Purpose
- Carries scientific instrument: gamma-ray telescope.  
- Hosted mission information on NASA’s BurstCube mission page and GSFC HEASARC documentation.

### Identifiers and Records
- COSPAR ID: 1998-067WM.  
- NSSDCA ID: BURSTCUBE.  
- Internal scn: 59562.  
- Commons category and spacecraft imagery available (image file: BurstCube_spacecraft_model_1.png).

### Ownership and Operation
- Owned and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA.  
- Country of origin/operator: United States.

### References and Official Pages
- NASA mission page: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/burstcube/  
- GSFC HEASARC mission page: https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/heasarc/missions/burstcube.html

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/burstcube.htm)
2. Jonathan's Space Report
3. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/burstcube/)