Swift gamma-ray burst explorer: mission design for rapid, accurate location of gamma-ray bursts

The Swift gamma-ray burst explorer is a NASA mid-sized explorer (MIDEX) with the primary mission of determining the origins of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). It is the first mission to autonomously respond to newly-discovered GRBs and provide immediate follow-up with narrow field instruments capable of multiwavelength (UV, optical, X-ray) observations. The characteristics of GRBs that are the key mission design drivers, are their nonrepeating and brief duration bursts of multiwavelength photons. In addition, rapid notification of the location and characteristics of the GRBs to ground-and-space-based observatories drive the end-to-end data analysis and distribution requirements.