HERMES-Pathfinder

HERMES-Pathfinder is a constellation of six 3U nano-satellites hosting simple but innovative X-ray detectors for determining and monitoring the positions of cosmic high-energy transients such as gamma-ray bursts and the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events. The HERMES Technological Pathfinder project is funded by the Italian Space Agency, while the HERMES Scientific Pathfinder project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 821896. HERMES-Pathfinder is an in-orbit demonstration that should be tested in orbit starting in 2023. We present the main scientific goals of HERMES-Pathfinder, as well as a description of the HERMES-Pathfinder payload and performance.