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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.16609 |
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| _version_ | 1866911393594212352 |
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| author | Ripa, Jakub Dafcikova, Marianna Pal, Andras Werner, Norbert Ohno, Masanori Meszaros, Laszlo Munz, Filip Csak, Balazs Galgoczi, Gabor Husarikova, Nikola Vitek, Tomas Kosik, Pavel Duriskova, Michaela Kolar, Martin Szakszonova, Lea Pazderka, Michal Hroch, Filip Topinka, Martin Fukazawa, Yasushi Takahashi, Hiromitsu Mizuno, Tsunefumi Yokota, Masato Breuer, Jean-Paul Nakazawa, Kazuhiro Odaka, Hirokazu Ichinohe, Yuto Hanak, Peter smelko, Miroslav Vertat, Ivo Urbanec, Tomas Povalac, Ales Kasal, Miroslav Kapus, Jakub Hudec, Jan Frajt, Marcel Rezenov, Maksim Daniel, Vladimir Svoboda, Petr Dudas, Juraj Sabol, Martin Laszlo, Robert Koleda, Martin Chang, Hsiang-Kuang Liu, Tsung-Che Lin, Chih-Hsun Hu, Chin-Ping Tsao, Che-Chih Sen, Kaustubha Wu, Chih-En Tohuvavohu, Aaron Sivanandam, Suresh Barnet, Mark |
| author_facet | Ripa, Jakub Dafcikova, Marianna Pal, Andras Werner, Norbert Ohno, Masanori Meszaros, Laszlo Munz, Filip Csak, Balazs Galgoczi, Gabor Husarikova, Nikola Vitek, Tomas Kosik, Pavel Duriskova, Michaela Kolar, Martin Szakszonova, Lea Pazderka, Michal Hroch, Filip Topinka, Martin Fukazawa, Yasushi Takahashi, Hiromitsu Mizuno, Tsunefumi Yokota, Masato Breuer, Jean-Paul Nakazawa, Kazuhiro Odaka, Hirokazu Ichinohe, Yuto Hanak, Peter smelko, Miroslav Vertat, Ivo Urbanec, Tomas Povalac, Ales Kasal, Miroslav Kapus, Jakub Hudec, Jan Frajt, Marcel Rezenov, Maksim Daniel, Vladimir Svoboda, Petr Dudas, Juraj Sabol, Martin Laszlo, Robert Koleda, Martin Chang, Hsiang-Kuang Liu, Tsung-Che Lin, Chih-Hsun Hu, Chin-Ping Tsao, Che-Chih Sen, Kaustubha Wu, Chih-En Tohuvavohu, Aaron Sivanandam, Suresh Barnet, Mark |
| contents | Results from GRBAlpha, VZLUSAT-2 and GRBBeta CubeSats and their on-board gamma-ray detectors for monitoring transients are summarised in this article. GRBAlpha was a 1U CubeSat launched in March 2021 to a 550 km altitude polar orbit carrying a CsI(Tl) scintillator gamma-ray burst (GRB) detector with a sensitive range of approximately 30-900 keV. It successfully operated for over four years until June 2025 when it de-orbited. VZLUSAT-2 was a 3U CubeSat launched in January 2022 to a 535 km altitude polar orbit and de-orbited in November 2025 after almost four years of smooth operation. It carried on board two GRB detectors very similar to the one used on GRBAlpha. Both missions have detected about 360 gamma-ray transients, including over 170 long and short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and including the most intense GRB ever recorded GRB 221009A and the second brightest GRB 230307A. The new family member, GRBBeta 2U CubeSat, integrated at Masaryk University, was launched in July 2024 to a 580 km altitude, 62 degree inclination orbit. It has been detecting GRBs since its launch without any trouble. Gamma-ray detectors on these nanosatellites are based on CsI(Tl) scintillator readout by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). These missions also provide a unique opportunity to study the radiation damage of SiPMs in the low Earth orbit environment and monitor the radiation belts. We have demonstrated that CubeSats can be used in missions lasting beyond three years and routinely detect GRBs. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_16609 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | GRBAlpha, VZLUSAT-2 and GRBBeta -- GRB observations with CubeSats Ripa, Jakub Dafcikova, Marianna Pal, Andras Werner, Norbert Ohno, Masanori Meszaros, Laszlo Munz, Filip Csak, Balazs Galgoczi, Gabor Husarikova, Nikola Vitek, Tomas Kosik, Pavel Duriskova, Michaela Kolar, Martin Szakszonova, Lea Pazderka, Michal Hroch, Filip Topinka, Martin Fukazawa, Yasushi Takahashi, Hiromitsu Mizuno, Tsunefumi Yokota, Masato Breuer, Jean-Paul Nakazawa, Kazuhiro Odaka, Hirokazu Ichinohe, Yuto Hanak, Peter smelko, Miroslav Vertat, Ivo Urbanec, Tomas Povalac, Ales Kasal, Miroslav Kapus, Jakub Hudec, Jan Frajt, Marcel Rezenov, Maksim Daniel, Vladimir Svoboda, Petr Dudas, Juraj Sabol, Martin Laszlo, Robert Koleda, Martin Chang, Hsiang-Kuang Liu, Tsung-Che Lin, Chih-Hsun Hu, Chin-Ping Tsao, Che-Chih Sen, Kaustubha Wu, Chih-En Tohuvavohu, Aaron Sivanandam, Suresh Barnet, Mark High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Results from GRBAlpha, VZLUSAT-2 and GRBBeta CubeSats and their on-board gamma-ray detectors for monitoring transients are summarised in this article. GRBAlpha was a 1U CubeSat launched in March 2021 to a 550 km altitude polar orbit carrying a CsI(Tl) scintillator gamma-ray burst (GRB) detector with a sensitive range of approximately 30-900 keV. It successfully operated for over four years until June 2025 when it de-orbited. VZLUSAT-2 was a 3U CubeSat launched in January 2022 to a 535 km altitude polar orbit and de-orbited in November 2025 after almost four years of smooth operation. It carried on board two GRB detectors very similar to the one used on GRBAlpha. Both missions have detected about 360 gamma-ray transients, including over 170 long and short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and including the most intense GRB ever recorded GRB 221009A and the second brightest GRB 230307A. The new family member, GRBBeta 2U CubeSat, integrated at Masaryk University, was launched in July 2024 to a 580 km altitude, 62 degree inclination orbit. It has been detecting GRBs since its launch without any trouble. Gamma-ray detectors on these nanosatellites are based on CsI(Tl) scintillator readout by silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). These missions also provide a unique opportunity to study the radiation damage of SiPMs in the low Earth orbit environment and monitor the radiation belts. We have demonstrated that CubeSats can be used in missions lasting beyond three years and routinely detect GRBs. |
| title | GRBAlpha, VZLUSAT-2 and GRBBeta -- GRB observations with CubeSats |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.16609 |