NASA’s SPHEREx mission, designed to map the sky in 3D, is scheduled for launch in February 2025. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) will be carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. This advanced satellite, about the size of a compact car, will map millions of stars and galaxies, providing unprecedented insights into cosmic events like the universe’s inflation phase after the Big Bang.
SPHEREx will also study our Milky Way galaxy, searching for life-essential molecules like carbon dioxide and water, which could offer clues about planetary formation. Additionally, the Falcon 9 launch will carry NASA’s PUNCH mission to study the sun’s corona. Weighing 329 pounds, SPHEREx is set to operate for two years, generating sky maps twice annually to deepen our understanding of the universe’s structure and evolution.
