Combining the photometric and astrometric qualities of the Zeiss Astro-Topar optical system of the Ballistische Messkammer (BMK75) with a 10k×10k monolithic CCD, provides together a competitive and almost unrivaled product of wide field of view and pixel sampling of 52 square degrees at 2.5 arcsec per pixel. With a fully robotized operation and with the permanent availability of such an instrument it is ideally suited for performing a large stellar-variability survey in the southern hemisphere.

The telescope is operated by AIP robotically at Cerro Armazones, Chile. The German telescope mount was retrofitted at AIP to e.g. account for the additional load of the CCD Dewar. The PEPSI red-spare 10k-CCD and its acquisition system have been adapted for the telescope. A new telescope drive system and control electronics have been installed based on EtherCAT™ technology by Beckhoff.

BMK10k has been deployed to Chile in September 2019.

The two main science projects are the determination of the rotational evolution of open cluster stars, in particular the Ptolemy Cluster Messier 7, and a full variability consensus of the stars in the ESA/PLATO2.0 southern long- duration observing field (SPF).