GRB observations with the HETE soft X-ray cameras

The High Energy Transient Explorer, scheduled to be launched in late 1999 or early 2000, will carry a pair of Soft X-ray Cameras (SXC), capable of localizing the X-ray counterparts of GRBs with unprecedented precision. Each SXC consists of a pair of large-format CCDs behind a 1-D coded aperture: the two SXCs are oriented orthogonal to each other to permit two-dimensional image reconstruction. The SXCs on HETE will be able to localize bright X-ray afterglows to $<20''$precision within seconds of burst onset. The coordinates of detected bursts will be distributed immediately to ground-based observers and to the GCN via the HETE Burst Alert System.