Overview

• The mission wrapped its in‑orbit testing with deployment of winged radiators and a selfie camera that returned the first images from space.
• The Italian-built HERMES X-ray detector completed commissioning with a 700‑second detection of the Crab gamma pulsar, according to ASI.
• SpIRIT will now scan for gamma ray bursts and issue early warnings to guide follow‑up observations by astronomers.
• Since launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from California in December 2023, the satellite has logged over 600 days and more than 9,000 Earth orbits.
• Mission partners describe SpIRIT as the first Australian space telescope to host a foreign agency’s main scientific payload, with operations expected to exceed 1,000 days.