Small NASA CubeSat Delivers First Ultraviolet Views of Exoplanet-Hosting Stars
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.