SPaRKLE on board Space Rider: A miniaturized laboratory in low Earth orbit for low-energy particles

SPaRKLE, the Small Particle Recognition Kit for Low Energies, is a compact detector for γ-ray and low-energy charged particle physics in Low Earth Orbit. Upon successful completion of the project phases, SPaRKLE will be installed on Space Rider, an uncrewed orbiting laboratory, for a mission lasting approximately two months. During the mission, SPaRKLE will measure particle fluxes and investigate transient phenomena such as Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) and Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs). Designed within a CubeSat unit, SPaRKLE includes a Cerium-doped Gadolinium Aluminium Gallium Garnet (GAGG) scintillator calorimeter, silicon detectors, and plastic scintillator anti-coincidence detectors. It will perform event-based particle identification and detect X-ray and γ-ray photons.This paper presents an overview of the project, its mission objectives, detector operations, and technological innovations.