NASA's Tiny Spacecraft Sends First Exoplanet Images

SPARCS space telescope captures insights into the temperatures of distant stars

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:58am

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NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) has sent back its first images from space, marking a major milestone for the mission. The tiny spacecraft, roughly the size of a large cereal box, will monitor flares and sunspot activity on low-mass stars - some of the most common in the Milky Way and known to host many potentially habitable exoplanets. The initial "first light" images demonstrate the spacecraft's instruments are functioning as expected, paving the way for SPARCS to begin its one-year mission of studying these stars in unprecedented ultraviolet detail.

Why it matters

Understanding the activity and environments of low-mass stars is crucial for assessing the habitability of the exoplanets that orbit them. SPARCS' unique ultraviolet observations will provide new insights into these common stellar hosts, helping future missions interpret the potential for life on distant worlds.

The details

The SPARCS spacecraft launched on January 11, 2026 and sent back its first images on February 6. The images show stars observed simultaneously in near-ultraviolet and far-ultraviolet wavelengths, allowing the team to gain insights into the temperatures of these stellar objects. SPARCS is equipped with cutting-edge detector and filter technologies developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, enabling highly sensitive UV measurements. Over its one-year mission, SPARCS will monitor approximately 20 low-mass stars for periods of 5 to 45 days, studying their flares and activity.

  • SPARCS launched on January 11, 2026.
  • The first images were received on February 6, 2026.

The players

Evgenya Shkolnik

Professor of Astrophysics at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, and the Principal Investigator for the SPARCS mission.

Shouleh Nikzad

The lead developer of the SPARCS camera (SPARCam) and the chief technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where the mission's detector and filter technologies were developed.

David Ardila

The SPARCS instrument scientist at JPL.

NASA

The U.S. space agency that is funding and managing the SPARCS mission.

Arizona State University

The institution leading the SPARCS mission.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Evgenya Shkolnik, Professor of Astrophysics, Arizona State University

“I am so excited that we are on the brink of learning about exoplanets' host stars and the effect of their activities on the planets' potential habitability. I'm doubly excited that we are contributing to this mission with detector and filter technologies we developed at JPL's Microdevices Laboratory.”

— Shouleh Nikzad, Chief Technologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

“The SPARCS mission brings all of these pieces together - focused science, cutting-edge detectors, and intelligent onboard processing - to deepen our understanding of the stars that most planets in the galaxy call home. By watching these stars in ultraviolet light in a way we've never done before, we're not just studying flares. These observations will sharpen our picture of stellar environments and help future missions interpret the habitability of distant worlds.”

— David Ardila, SPARCS Instrument Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

What’s next

Over its one-year mission, SPARCS will target approximately 20 low-mass stars and observe them over durations of five to 45 days, continuously monitoring their far-ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet radiation.

The takeaway

SPARCS' pioneering ultraviolet observations of low-mass stars will provide crucial insights into the environments and activity of the most common stellar hosts for potentially habitable exoplanets, paving the way for future missions to better assess the potential for life on distant worlds.