SPARCS
Space telescope
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) is a small space telescope in the CubeSat 6U format (30x20x10 cm at launch) whose objective is to monitor the flares and sunspot activity of low-mass stars of M and K spectral type.[1] The mission selected by NASA is developed and managed by Arizona State University with the participation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which provides the telescope and its detectors.[2][3][4]
| Mission type | Space telescope (Astrophysics) |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2026-004? |
| SATCAT no. | 673?? |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 January 2026, 13:44:50 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 (booster 1097) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 4 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Dawn/dusk sun-synchronous orbit |
| Altitude | 500 to 600 km |
Objectives
The objective of the SPARCS mission is to study the ultraviolet emissions of around ten red dwarfs in order to model its impact.[5] SPARCS is with ASTERIA one of the first space astronomy missions using the extremely miniaturized CubeSat format. This new category of satellite opens up prospects in the field of long-term observations of astronomical phenomena thanks to their reduced cost.[6][7]
Timeline
External links
- "Tiny satellite, big discoveries, from campus to cosmos - The Arizona State Press". www.statepress.com. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
- "Two New CubeSats to Monitor Nearby Stars and Distant Black Holes - Sky & Telescope". www.skyandtelescope.org. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
