First launch of 2026.✅ Welcome to space, @NASA, @PSUScience, and @LosAlamosNatLab! We successfully established two-way comms with BlackCAT: BlackCAT (the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope) is a NASA-funded X-ray space observatory, led by PSU, with flight software contributions from LANL. The mission uses our 6U CubeSat bus to house PSU's payload and aims to improve our understanding of how the Universe transitioned from darkness to light. It will detect and study high-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) that happen when massive stars collapse into black holes or when neutron stars collide. By transmitting real-time alerts to the ground via the Iridium satellite network, BlackCAT will also allow rapid follow-up by other observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). On top of that, it will help locate electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events, complementing research from facilities such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). The launch marks the continuation of Kongsberg NanoAvionics’ 100% first-contact success rate across more than 50 satellite missions to date. Learn more about BlackCAT's science mission on our blog in the comments below. #Twilight mission launch image is courtesy of SpaceX.

BlackCAT is set to launch! This @NASA-funded mission led by @PSUScience, with contributions from @LosAlamosNatLab, will launch at 13:19 UTC this Sunday to hunt for some of the brightest, furthest, and oldest explosions in our Universe: BlackCAT (the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope) is an X-ray space telescope integrated into our 6U CubeSat bus 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: — 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. Despite its small size, BlackCAT's soft X-ray sensitivity and real-time alerts make it a powerful new tool for time-sensitive transient astronomy.