Stellar and Exoplanet science with the Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS)

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one- to three-year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. The SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) team invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to join an innovative and interdisciplinary mission at the forefront of ultraviolet (UV) astrophysics, exoplanet habitability studies, and small satellite technology and operations. SPARCS is a NASA-funded 6U CubeSat designed to monitor UV variability from low-mass stars (K and M dwarfs) with the goal of understanding how stellar activity—particularly in the form of flares—shapes the atmospheres and habitability of orbiting exoplanets. The successful candidate will join the SPARCS science and engineering team, with primary focus on analysis of flare data and its contextualization to planet habitability. The researcher will have the opportunity to tailor research to their interests and contribute to all aspects of the mission, including science analysis, improvement of engineering processes, and data processing. SPARCS emphasizes mentorship and leadership development—prior team members have transitioned to leadership roles in NASA MIDEX, SMEX, and flagship mission development.