Applications – Science

“StarBurst is a smallsat that will detect high-energy gamma rays from events such as the mergers of dense stellar remnants called neutron stars. It is poised to dramatically expand the discovery of neutron star mergers, where most of the heavy metals in the universe are formed.”

– Daniel Kocevski, Research Astrophysicist, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

Decades of Experience Customizing Satellites for Scientific Missions

SFL’s unique development methodology produces high performance satellites at a low cost, making on-orbit science and technology demonstration feasible with limited budgets. Whether it is a GPS radio occultation experiment to characterize the upper atmosphere, an atmospheric spectrometer to measure greenhouse gases, or a space materials experiment to evaluate the effects of atomic oxygen on a protective coating, SFL has in-depth experience accommodating different scientific payloads and customizing satellites and CONOPS as necessary. SFL’s mature and well-developed attitude control enables some of the most advanced science missions, including astronomy and astrophysics missions, to be executed in space at low cost.

SFL is dedicated to lowering the entry barrier to space to support scientific research in a number of fields, such as atmospheric physics, solar science, and astronomy. Continuous innovation enables more productive use of space for cutting-edge science.

“Nanosatellites had never been used for space astronomy, but because of the BRITE mission, people are now saying this is the way to go. [Smaller satellites] are inexpensive, and thanks to SFL you can now do great science with them.”

–Prof. Anthony Moffat, a BRITE researcher at the Center for Research in Astrophysics of Quebec (CRAQ).