NASA Gamma-Ray Tech

NASA's AstroPix gamma-ray sensor will be part of the Fly Foundational Robots mission, launching in late 2027. AstroPix is designed to measure gamma rays between 20,000 and 700,000 electron volts, bridging a gap in existing detectors.

The sensor will be hosted on the Orbital Replacement Unit, a movable module built by Rocket Lab Robotics. The unit will be repositioned by a robotic arm during flight, demonstrating robotic servicing capabilities.

AstroPix detectors function similarly to cellphone camera sensors but are sensitive to gamma-ray light. Each chip contains four silicon pixel gamma-ray detectors, with 1,225 pixels each.