NASA’s latest space telescope, Spherex, has successfully launched into orbit, embarking on a historic mission to map the entire sky like never before. The $488 million observatory will study hundreds of millions of galaxies and their shared cosmic glow since the beginning of time.
The telescope, weighing over 1,100 pounds, is equipped with infrared detectors capable of distinguishing 102 colors invisible to the human eye. Its unique design features three aluminum-honeycomb cones that keep its detectors at a chilling -350°F (-210°C) to capture the most colorful and inclusive map of the cosmos ever made.
Spherex will focus on observing the collective glow produced by all galaxies, rather than counting individual ones. This approach allows scientists to study the light emitted over cosmic history and gain insights into how galaxies formed and evolved. The mission aims to explain how the universe expanded in its first moments and how life might emerge in our own Milky Way galaxy.
The telescope’s six-month mapping process will take it around the globe, circling from pole to pole at an altitude of 400 miles (650km). Four full-sky surveys are planned over two years, with Spherex joining forces with four separate satellites studying the sun and its corona.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/12/nasas-spherex-telescope-launch