All articles tagged with #sparcs
NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS), launched in January 2026, has delivered the first ultraviolet images of nearby low-mass stars, confirming its UV-sensitive detectors and readiness for science operations. Over about a year it will monitor around 20 stars to study how their flares and UV activity affect orbiting exoplanets, a key step in understanding planetary atmospheres and habitability.
NASA's SPARCS CubeSat released its first ultraviolet images, validating its detectors and filters and kicking off a year-long program to monitor flares from low-mass stars in order to assess how stellar activity could affect the habitability of their orbiting planets and inform future UV missions.
NASA’s SPARCS CubeSat has released its first ultraviolet images, confirming instrument performance and launching a year-long study of low-mass stars to understand how their flares may affect the habitability of surrounding exoplanets. The mission will monitor about 20 stars for five to 45 days using detector-integrated UV filters and onboard processing to sample stellar activity and guide future UV missions.