Mutual Observations of Cosmic Gamma Ray Bursts with the Moscow University CubeSat Constellation and Master Network Robotic Telescopes

Since January 25, 2005, Moscow State University has been implementing its own space program. At present, it is mainly associated with the implementation of the Sozvezdie-270 project, which should result in the deployment of a group of nanosatellites of the CubeSat format in near-Earth space. To date, 20 satellites of the 1U, 1.5U, 3U, and 6U formats have been launched with instruments developed and manufactured at the Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University (SINP MSU), of which 9 continue to operate in sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 400–600 km. For use as a payload on CubeSat satellites, SINP MSU has developed a number of instruments that include miniature detectors of gamma quanta and electrons with energies in the ranges of 0.02–2.0 and 0.3–10.0 MeV, respectively. These instruments can be used, among other goals, to detect gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at a fairly good sensitivity level (~10–7 erg/cm2 at burst duration 1 s). To date, 32 GRBs have been detected with their help. This paper discusses the results of mutual observations of GRBs using the orbital Moscow University nanosatellite constellation and robotic telescopes of the MASTER Global Network. The upper limits of the intensity of the prompt and afterglow emission of detected GRBs are presented, and the results of the search for optical sources in the regions of GRB localization are analyzed.