Last night, at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, there was more than just excitement in the air. SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit, carrying two important NASA missions: the SPHEREx space telescope and the PUNCH solar mission.
The liftoff took place at 11:10 p.m. EST on March 11, 2025. At mission control, relief and joy filled the atmosphere. “I am so happy that we’re finally in space!” said Farah Alibay, lead flight system engineer for SPHEREx at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her excitement reflected the mood among the team and onlookers alike.
This launch had faced several delays, including setbacks caused by California wildfires and other challenges NASA has encountered in recent months. The stakes are high for both missions, which promise to deliver groundbreaking insights. SPHEREx weighs approximately 1,667 pounds and represents a $488 million investment in scientific discovery.
SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, aims to gather data from the universe’s infrared wavelengths. While humans can’t see these wavelengths, they are crucial for understanding cosmic phenomena. Light from distant galaxies can stretch and shift colors due to the universe’s expansion, making infrared data essential for astronomers.
The anticipation surrounding SPHEREx resembles the excitement seen with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) back in December 2021. Both telescopes utilize infrared technology to reveal parts of the universe obscured from view. For instance, SPHEREx will map the entire sky in 102 infrared colors—an unprecedented task that could unlock new knowledge about the cosmos.
While both SPHEREx and JWST will collect infrared data, they are designed differently. JWST focuses on detailed views of specific areas of the sky, whereas SPHEREx will provide a broader survey. “We are literally mapping the entire celestial sky,” said Nicky Fox, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate associate administrator.
Once SPHEREx reaches its orbit, it will remain in a sun-synchronous polar orbit, ensuring it stays cool enough for its sensitive instruments. This careful positioning is vital since solar heat can interfere with infrared readings.
Now, let’s talk about PUNCH. The Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission, costing $165 million, concentrates entirely on the sun. It consists of four spacecraft, three equipped with wide-field imagers and one with a narrow-field imager. This second imager can create an artificial eclipse, revealing the sun’s corona in high definition all day long.
Understanding the corona is important for predicting space weather. Bursts of plasma from the sun, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can impact our technology on Earth, disrupt GPS signals, and even pose risks to astronauts. Monitoring these events can improve safety measures and lead to better forecasts.
Craig DeForest, PUNCH’s principal investigator, stated that the mission’s dual instruments are necessary to observe the sun’s behavior at different distances. The satellites will sit in a sun-synchronous orbit, always exposed to sunlight, unlike SPHEREx, which must stay in the shadow of Earth.
Both missions have begun their journey, but they are still in the early stages. After reaching orbit, they will undergo a 90-day commissioning period where teams will ensure everything is functioning correctly. PUNCH aims to operate for at least two years, while SPHEREx plans to survey over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way during its two-year mission.
In an exciting era for space exploration, both missions will join NASA’s roster of pioneering space technology, working alongside instruments like the Parker Solar Probe and JWST. As we continue to explore the cosmos, the discoveries made by these spacecraft may change our understanding of the universe.
Check out this related article: NASA’s Groundbreaking Space Telescope Unveils the Secrets to Life’s Building Blocks
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