A 2 by 2 mosaic of Speedster HyViSI focal plane arrays forms the primary imager for the BlackCAT spacecraft.
The BlackCAT mission pairs Speedster HyViSI focal plane arrays with an x-ray optical system in a compact CubeSat form factor to demonstrate that small spacecraft can deliver scientifically valuable data on distant and dynamic astrophysical processes.
The BlackCAT payload uses Teledyne detector technology for sensitivity to probe conditions in the early universe.
Pennsylvania State University is leading the BlackCAT mission that places an x-ray observatory on a CubeSat platform to capture transient x-ray events and study bursts from the collapse of early stars into black holes.
NASA's SPARCS and BlackCAT CubeSats separated from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage.
The two CubeSats sponsored by NASA are the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) and the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT).
The RTLS launch on January 11, 2026, is carrying the SPARCS and BlackCAT satellites, among other rideshare payloads.
The BlackCAT satellite deployed at approximately 2:20:01 after launch.
The two CubeSats sponsored by NASA are the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) and the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT).