NASA has successfully launched its new astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking a major milestone in the agency’s quest to understand the origins of the universe and the history of galaxies. The mission aims to search for the ingredients of life in our galaxy and study the cosmos from far-out galaxies to our neighborhood star.
SPHEREx will create a 3D map of the entire celestial sky every six months, providing a wide perspective to complement the work of space telescopes that observe smaller sections of the sky. The mission uses spectroscopy to measure the distance to 450 million galaxies in the nearby universe and provide new insights into how galaxies have formed and evolved over cosmic time.
The PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites will make global, 3D observations of the inner solar system and the Sun’s outer atmosphere. The mission aims to learn how the Sun’s mass and energy become the solar wind and explore the formation and evolution of space weather events.
Both missions are designed to operate in a low Earth, Sun-synchronous orbit over the day-night line, allowing for continuous observations with minimal impact from the Sun’s light and heat. Engineers and scientists will conduct a rigorous checkout period before the two-year prime mission begins, ensuring the spacecraft is working properly.
The successful launch of SPHEREx and PUNCH marks a significant step forward in NASA’s scientific endeavors, providing new opportunities to answer fundamental questions about the universe and our place within it.
Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-launches-missions-to-study-sun-universes-beginning