ASU-led SPARCS mission achieves 'first light,' marking the start of its science operations in orbit
AZ Space Technologies engineer Nathaniel Struebel (left) and ASU undergraduate student Ysabella McAulliffe fit-test the CubeSat into the box, which deployed it into space. Photo courtesy of the School of Earth and Space Exploration
The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, has captured its first images of stars from space. This milestone marks the start of its science operations in orbit.
Arizona State University leads the SPARCS mission, which is funded by NASA. It is the first mission dedicated to long-term ultraviolet monitoring of nearby low-mass stars. These stars are the most common in our galaxy and often have Earth-sized, possibly habitable planets.
Initial, or “first light,” images mark the moment a mission proves its instruments are functioning in space and ready to transition to full science operations. This milestone is especially important for SPARCS, whose observations depend on precise ultraviolet measurements, making the demonstration of the camera’s performance critical to achieving its science goals. The spacecraft launched Jan. 11; the images came down Feb. 6 and were subsequently processed.
“Seeing SPARCS’ first ultraviolet images from orbit is incredibly exciting. They tell us the spacecraft, the telescope and the detectors are performing as tested on the ground and we are ready to begin the science we built this mission to do,” says SPARCS principal investigator Evgenya Shkolnik, professor of astrophysics at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU, which leads the mission.
SPARCS will measure how frequently and how intensely low-mass stars emit high-energy ultraviolet radiation. M stars are our first, best chance for studying a habitable rocky planet. But their stars are known to flare a hundred times more than our sun. These flares can erode the planet’s atmosphere and fundamentally shape the potential habitability of orbiting worlds. By tracking stellar activity over time, the mission will provide critical data needed to interpret observations of exoplanet atmospheres and assess long-term atmospheric stability.
As a focused, low-cost CubeSat mission, SPARCS aims to demonstrate that high-impact astrophysics can be achieved on small platforms. The mission also gives key ultraviolet context for large, flagship observatories studying potentially habitable exoplanets, such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. SPARCS will also showcase new ultraviolet detector technologies developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that could be used on larger future missions.
“SPARCS demonstrates that small, focused missions can open entirely new discovery spaces. By targeting a specific gap in ultraviolet observations and demonstrating new technologies, we are increasing science and technology options for future flagship observatories, such as NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory mission concept,” Shkolnik said.
“CubeSats started off as an educational tool," said ASU Professor Danny Jacobs, SPARCS co-investigator. "Now here we are, a university with its own space telescope doing cutting-edge astronomy. But we still couldn’t have done it without the students.”
Students have played a key role in SPARCS from the start. Fifteen undergraduates worked on the mission through the ASU Interplanetary Laboratory, getting hands-on experience with clean room assembly and technical work. About a dozen more students are now helping in ASU’s Mission Operations Center during the mission’s time in space. Two PhD students finished their dissertations by developing SPARCS and its test facilities. Two early-career postdoctoral researchers also created software and hardware for SPARCS, propelling them into industry positions in aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing.
“Behind every SPARCS image is sophisticated software running on the spacecraft," said Professor Judd Bowman, SPARCS co-investigator. "Our team built tools that let a CubeSat operate like a much larger observatory, and seeing that software come alive in space is incredibly rewarding.”
With its first images taken, SPARCS is now shifting from testing to science. This will allow new studies of how the ultraviolet activity of stars changes, especially those most likely to host habitable planets.
About the team
In addition to Shkolnik, Jacobs and Bowman, the full ASU team that developed and assembled SPARCS, its flight software and the mission operations systems that will be used to command the spacecraft includes: former professor Paul Scowen (now at NASA GSFC), Tahina Ramiaramanantsoa, Matthew Kolopanis, Titu Samson, Maria Cristy Ladwig, Logan Jensen (PhD '24), Johnathan Gamaunt (PhD '24), Joe Dubois, and undergraduates Alec Arcara, Kaitlyn Ashcroft, Aaron Bournias, Noah Campos, Sam Cherian, Genevieve Cooper, Joseph Dukowitz, Tyler Field, Zachary Felty, Ella Greetis, Paulo Gonzalez Soto, Mark Jaber, Kooum Joshi, Ashley Lepham, Christopher McCormick, Ysabella McAuliffe, Neil Naik, Tyler Nielson, Liam O’Mara, Hetvi Patel, Lillian Prigge, Alejandro Reyes Villas, Gabriela Roig, Ishi Shah, Josh Sink, Logan Skabelund, Dens Sumesh and Ben Weber.
The ASU Core Research Facilities’ Instrument Design and Fabrication Core supported the SPARCS mission with machining custom components made on the Tempe campus, and AZ Space Technologies engineer team members Dawn Gregory and Nathaniel Struebel provided system engineering, thermal analysis and mechanical design.
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