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The first neutron star (NS) merger observed by advanced LIGO and Virgo,GW170817, and its fireworks of electromagnetic counterparts across the entireelectromagnetic spectrum marked the beginning of multi-messenger astronomy andastrophysics with gravitational waves. The ultraviolet, optical, andnear-infrared emission was consistent with being powered by the radioactivedecay of nuclei synthesized in the merger ejecta by the rapid neutron captureprocess (r-process). Starting from an outline of the inferred properties ofthis 'kilonova' emission, I discuss possible astrophysical sites for r-processnucleosynthesis in NS mergers, arguing that the heaviest r-process elementssynthesized in this event most likely originated in outflows from a post-mergeraccretion disk. I compare the inferred properties of r-process elementproduction in GW170817 to current observational constraints on galactic heavyr-process nucleosynthesis and discuss challenges merger-only models face inexplaining the r-process content of our galaxy. Based on the observationalproperties of GW170817 and recent theoretical progress on r-processnucleosynthesis in collapsars, I then show how GW170817 points to collapsars asthe dominant source of r-process enrichment in the Milky Way. These rarecore-collapse events arguably better satisfy existing constraints and overcomeproblems related to r-process enrichment in various environments that NSmergers face. Finally, I comment on the universality of the r-process and onhow variations in light r-process elements can be obtained both in NS mergersand collapsars.

GW170817$-$the first observed neutron star merger and its kilonova: implications for the astrophysical site of the r-process