Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope) is…

Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope) is an X-ray space telescope integrated into a 6U CubeSat bus by Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) to detect and study high-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) that happen when massive stars collapse into black holes or when neutron stars collide. BlackCAT expects to detect dozens of GRBs each year, pinpoint their locations, and transmit real-time alerts to the ground via the Iridium satellite network. These alerts will allow rapid follow-up by other observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which will help scientists to:

● map cosmic reionization, a period when the universe transitioned from darkness to light.
● measure ionizing radiation escaping from early galaxies.
● study how metals formed in the early universe.

BlackCAT will also help locate electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events, complementing research from facilities such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Capturing the bright afterglow from X-rays to radio waves will enable “multimessenger” studies, combining signals across different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to reveal the physics behind these rare cosmic events.