Maynooth University Satellite Hitches Ride On Musk Rocket For New Star-Tracking Mission

Monday, 1 December 2025 10:43

By Martin Osborne - Head Of News

The team at Maynooth University, led by astrophysicist Dr Emma Whelan, will use the satellite to study young, developing stars called Herbig Ae/Be stars.

Maynooth University has joined an international space mission studying how stars are born and how they shape the planets around them.

The “Mauve” satellite - a small UV telescope launched last week on a SpaceX rocket - has begun a three-year mission to monitor stellar flares and their impact on potentially habitable worlds.

SpaceX is owned by Elon Musk.

The team at Maynooth University, led by astrophysicist Dr Emma Whelan, will use the satellite to study young, developing stars called Herbig Ae/Be stars.

They’ll track changes in their brightness over weeks and months to look for clues about how stars and planets form.

It is hoped that it will help scientists understand the effects of powerful stellar flares on exoplanets and their potential for harbouring life.

Dr Whelan says the mission opens a “fresh window” on star formation, offering data that ground-based telescopes can’t capture.

Mauve is a lightweight, suitcase-sized satellite built in under three years.

Research institutions worldwide have already secured subscriptions to access data collected by Mauve.

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