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SPARCS

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Science ExplorationLEOCOSPAR 2026-004ZLaunched 1/11/2026

Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: Twilight
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 FT5
Launch Date: 1/11/2026

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: LEO
Altitude: 603.5 km
Inclination: 97.8 deg
Dry Mass: 12 kg
Total Mass: 12 kg

Payload Classification

Mission Type

Science Exploration

Payload Category

AST

Payload Class

A

Organizations

Operator: Arizona State University
Manufacturer: Blue Canyon Technologies

Registry

COSPAR ID: 2026-004Z

Mentions

7

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

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The CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) selected SPARCS for a ride to orbit in 2022.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.0Jan 13, 2026NASA’s Exoplanet Observing Satellite Deployed from Launch Vehicle

SPARCS is part of the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 60 launch grouping.

PlanGeneralValue 3.0Jan 13, 2026NASA’s Exoplanet Observing Satellite Deployed from Launch Vehicle

NASA's SPARCS and BlackCAT CubeSats separated from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage.

PlanValue 3.8Jan 13, 2026NASA’s Exoplanet Observing Satellite Deployed from Launch Vehicle

The two CubeSats sponsored by NASA are the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) and the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT).

GeneralValue 4.0Jan 12, 2026RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: Yesterday was a big day for Pandora! Now, our newest exoplanet explorer will undergo a month of commissioning before embarking on its one-year prime mission — stay tuned for mission news! More stellar launch pics:

The RTLS launch on January 11, 2026, is carrying the SPARCS and BlackCAT satellites, among other rideshare payloads.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.5Jan 11, 2026RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: Twilight streaks to space in a beautiful nighttime RTLS carrying the @NASA Pandora, SPARCS and BlackCAT satellites, among other rideshare payloads

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) deployed at approximately 2:20:21 after launch, integrated by Maverick Space Systems.

GeneralRelationshipsPlanValue 3.8Jan 11, 2026Kepler Communications high-speed optical data relay satellites successfully launched

The two CubeSats sponsored by NASA are the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) and the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT).

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Jan 11, 2026RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: RT by @Cosmic_Penguin: In addition to Pandora, SpaceX's Twilight Mission will carry dozens of satellites including two CubeSats sponsored by NASA, the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) and the Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope (BlackCAT).