ASU-led SPARCS mission achieves 'first light,' marking the start of its science operations in orbit (opens in new tab)

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.