Abstract: Current trends in the design new missions and mission concepts for space-borne high-energy astrophysics research concentrate on the development of advanced detection systems. While progress in detector research and development is critical to the future success of space astrophysics, tremendous advances in communications technology stand ready to breathe new life into stable and established detector technology and detection schemes. Very high rate telemetry systems have a proven record in space-based Earth science missions, yet have been largely overlooked by space astrophysics researchers. By employing advanced telemetry systems, such currently available detector technologies as NaI can now be used to build high-energy astrophysics experiments that open a vast new phase space of astrophysical research. As a context for our discussion, we describe a proposed medium explorer-class mission called ALLEGRO (all-sky low energy gamma ray observatory), a high time and energy resolution experiment that uses high rate telemetry to provide a virtual 'photon pipe' in the 7 - 200 keV energy range. !3
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