NASA launches SPHEREx telescope to map the universe in 3D
NASA has launched a new space telescope, SPHEREx, into orbit to complement the observations of the James Webb Space Telescope. It was launched from Vandenberg Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and has already begun its mission, accompanied by new satellites.
NASA has started two new space missions aimed at studying the Sun and the beginnings of the universe. This includes the orbital placement of a new space telescope, SPHEREx, which will provide panoramic views of the universe to complement the observation of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It was placed into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Base in California. PUNCH satellites were also on board.
The SPHEREx telescope will collect data from over 450 million galaxies
The mission began on March 11th. The SPHEREx telescope, as described by NASA, is tasked with exploring the beginnings of the universe, the history of galaxies, and searching for life's building blocks in our galaxy. Once fully operational, SPHEREx will scan the entire night sky four times using 102 separate infrared detectors. This will allow scientists to collect data from over 450 million galaxies during the planned two-year mission. The gathered information will help answer key cosmology questions, such as the formation and evolution of galaxies, the origin of water, and the creation of the universe.
SPHEREx, which cost CAD 700 million, is designed to map the universe by observing optical and infrared light. The telescope will orbit the Earth about 15 times a day, completing 11,000 orbits during its mission. Using spectroscopy, SPHEREx will filter infrared light from distant clouds of gas and dust. The observatory will begin its two-year primary mission after approximately a month-long check-out period, during which engineers and scientists will ensure the spacecraft operates correctly.
Scientists hope that this telescope will allow them to create an incredible image of the cosmos using the oldest light. This will enable the study of galaxies at various stages of their evolution, track ice in space, and understand the period shortly after the Big Bang.
The oldest light may help in creating a new image of the cosmos
To achieve its broad scientific goals, SPHEREx will create a three-dimensional map of the entire sky every six months, providing a broad perspective to complement the work of space telescopes that observe smaller sections of the sky in more detail. This includes, of course, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Telescope.
PUNCH satellites also made it to orbit to observe the Sun
In addition to SPHEREx, the rocket also launched another research instrument - four small satellites that comprise the PUNCH mission. Their aim is to study how the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, spreads out in the form of the solar wind.
The PUNCH satellites are now starting a 90-day commissioning period, during which they will enter the correct orbit and be calibrated as one "virtual instrument." Craig DeForest from NASA, the principal investigator of the PUNCH mission, stated that this mission will revolutionize space weather forecasting by enabling the tracking of space weather events in three dimensions for the first time.
The telescope and satellites will operate in low Earth orbit
Both instruments will operate in low Earth orbit, synchronized with the Sun's movement, which is crucial for SPHEREx to be shielded from the Sun's light and heat, and for PUNCH to have a clear view in all directions around the Sun. Both tools will use spectroscopy.
Spectroscopy can also reveal the composition of cosmic objects, and SPHEREx will study our galaxy in search of hidden reservoirs of frozen water and other molecules, such as carbon dioxide, which are essential for life as we know it.
