A Proliferated Space Architecture for Time-Domain Astrophysics
Abstract
Time-Domain and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (TDAMM) is entering a discovery-rich but follow-up-limited era, creating an urgent need for responsive, multiwavelength space-based capabilities. The Hydra constellation is a concept for a proliferated space architecture for time-domain astrophysics. The constellation would act as a disaggregated observatory composed of coordinated, relatively low-cost spacecraft that collectively provide capabilities traditionally concentrated within a single large mission. The architecture would combine persistent wide-field gamma-ray monitoring, wide-field and focused X-ray observations, and rapid-response ultraviolet, optical, and infrared imaging and spectroscopy. The constellation would both discover high-energy transients and respond to external alerts from gravitational-wave detectors, neutrino observatories, and ground- and space-based surveys, using low-latency communications, automated event prioritization, and community coordination frameworks to rapidly assign observing resources. A proliferated architecture would offer operational advantages over a single larger mission, including simultaneous observations of multiple targets, graceful degradation following individual spacecraft failures, recurring technology refresh, and opportunities for commercial, international, and philanthropic contributed nodes to join the network. The constellation would address fundamental questions concerning cosmic accelerators, the origin and evolution of the elements, the behavior of matter at extreme density, and the nature of dark energy through gravitational-wave standard sirens. This white paper presents the Hydra concept description that was submitted to NASA's ASTRA initiative for consideration by the Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (CoPAG) and Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG).
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BibTeX
@misc{kocevski2026proliferated,
title = {{A Proliferated Space Architecture for Time-Domain Astrophysics}},
author = {Daniel Kocevski and Eric Burns and Thomas Barclay and Nicholas E. White and Massimiliano Galeazzi and Brendan O'Connor and Amy Lien and Chris Fryer and Hallie Fausey and Fe McBride and Neil Cornish and Dheeraj Pasham and Kip Kuntz and Anya Nugent and Scott Porter and Tzu-Ching Chang and Adam Lidz and Alexander van der Horst and Sylvain Guiriec and Ed Cackett and Dieter Hartmann and Brad Cenko and C. Michelle Hui and Tyler Parsotan and Michael W. Coughlin and Eliza Neights and Zorawar Wadiasingh and Catherine Grant and Oindabi Mukherjee and Francesco Longo and Eric Bellm and Alec Habig and George Younes and Kim Page and Shivam Kumar Sharma and Oliver J. Roberts and Rachel Hamburg and Rahul Gupta and Colleen A. Wilson-Hodge and William Cleveland and Breann Sitarski and Vikas Chand and Raffaella Margutti and Adam Goldstein and Ryan J. Foley and Vidushi Sharma and Yi-Jung Yang and Elisabetta Bissaldi and M. Coleman Miller and T. A. Pritchard and D. J. Sand and Tomas Ahumada and Judith Racusin and Noah Franz and Kate D. Alexander and Brenna Mockler and D. Andrew Howell and Elisa Quintana and Chin-Ping Hu and Igor Andreoni},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.12153},
eprint = {2609.12153},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.12153},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Proliferated Space Architecture for Time-Domain Astrophysics
AU - Daniel Kocevski
AU - Eric Burns
AU - Thomas Barclay
AU - Nicholas E. White
AU - Massimiliano Galeazzi
AU - Brendan O'Connor
AU - Amy Lien
AU - Chris Fryer
AU - Hallie Fausey
AU - Fe McBride
AU - Neil Cornish
AU - Dheeraj Pasham
AU - Kip Kuntz
AU - Anya Nugent
AU - Scott Porter
AU - Tzu-Ching Chang
AU - Adam Lidz
AU - Alexander van der Horst
AU - Sylvain Guiriec
AU - Ed Cackett
AU - Dieter Hartmann
AU - Brad Cenko
AU - C. Michelle Hui
AU - Tyler Parsotan
AU - Michael W. Coughlin
AU - Eliza Neights
AU - Zorawar Wadiasingh
AU - Catherine Grant
AU - Oindabi Mukherjee
AU - Francesco Longo
AU - Eric Bellm
AU - Alec Habig
AU - George Younes
AU - Kim Page
AU - Shivam Kumar Sharma
AU - Oliver J. Roberts
AU - Rachel Hamburg
AU - Rahul Gupta
AU - Colleen A. Wilson-Hodge
AU - William Cleveland
AU - Breann Sitarski
AU - Vikas Chand
AU - Raffaella Margutti
AU - Adam Goldstein
AU - Ryan J. Foley
AU - Vidushi Sharma
AU - Yi-Jung Yang
AU - Elisabetta Bissaldi
AU - M. Coleman Miller
AU - T. A. Pritchard
AU - D. J. Sand
AU - Tomas Ahumada
AU - Judith Racusin
AU - Noah Franz
AU - Kate D. Alexander
AU - Brenna Mockler
AU - D. Andrew Howell
AU - Elisa Quintana
AU - Chin-Ping Hu
AU - Igor Andreoni
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.12153
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.12153
AB - Time-Domain and Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (TDAMM) is entering a discovery-rich but follow-up-limited era, creating an urgent need for responsive, multiwavelength space-based capabilities. The Hydra constellation is a concept for a proliferated space architecture for time-domain astrophysics. The constellation would act as a disaggregated observatory composed of coordinated, relatively low-cost spacecraft that collectively provide capabilities traditionally concentrated within a single large mission. The architecture would combine persistent wide-field gamma-ray monitoring, wide-field and focused X-ray observations, and rapid-response ultraviolet, optical, and infrared imaging and spectroscopy. The constellation would both discover high-energy transients and respond to external alerts from gravitational-wave detectors, neutrino observatories, and ground- and space-based surveys, using low-latency communications, automated event prioritization, and community coordination frameworks to rapidly assign observing resources. A proliferated architecture would offer operational advantages over a single larger mission, including simultaneous observations of multiple targets, graceful degradation following individual spacecraft failures, recurring technology refresh, and opportunities for commercial, international, and philanthropic contributed nodes to join the network. The constellation would address fundamental questions concerning cosmic accelerators, the origin and evolution of the elements, the behavior of matter at extreme density, and the nature of dark energy through gravitational-wave standard sirens. This white paper presents the Hydra concept description that was submitted to NASA's ASTRA initiative for consideration by the Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (CoPAG) and Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG).
ER -