Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2026, the Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics (SNAPPY) CubeSat carries a compact detector comprising four crystals encased in tungsten-loaded epoxy, designed to measure solar neutrinos—a fundamental, nearly massless particle passing through matter at nearly the speed of light. This mission builds on interest generated by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe which encountered intense solar neutrino flux near the Sun’s corona.
SNAPPY operates from low Earth orbit, aiming to collect neutrino data to shed light on solar processes and particle physics. The project represents one of the first attempts to deploy such a specialized detector on a CubeSat platform, potentially expanding detection capabilities in space particle astrophysics.
Source & further reading
NASA-Supported Small Spacecraft Launches to Study Solar Particles ↗Source published 2026-05-07. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.