A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 11:10 p.m. EST, carrying NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope and the PUNCH solar mission. The dual payload mission successfully reached orbit, marking a major milestone for NASA’s ongoing space exploration efforts. Engineers and scientists involved in the missions expressed excitement as the spacecraft began their journey to designated orbits. The launch had faced multiple delays due to unforeseen setbacks, including the impact of wildfires in California, affecting several mission members.

SPHEREx: Mapping the Universe in Infrared

According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) is designed to survey the sky in infrared light, allowing scientists to study over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way. The 8.5-foot-tall telescope will map the sky in 102 infrared wavelengths, a first in astronomical research. Unlike the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which captures detailed images of specific cosmic regions, SPHEREx will create a wide-field map of the entire sky over six months.

NASA’s Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, described the mission as “mapping the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colors for the first time in humanity’s history” during a briefing on January 31. The telescope has been placed in a sun-synchronous polar orbit to avoid interference from Earth’s infrared glow and maintain optimal observational conditions.

PUNCH: Investigating the Solar Wind

Reportedly, as per NASA’s Southwest Research Institute, the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission consists of four small satellites designed to study the sun’s outer atmosphere and how it transitions into the solar wind. These observations will help scientists understand the solar wind’s impact on Earth, particularly in predicting space weather events that can affect satellite operations, power grids, and GPS systems.

Craig DeForest, Principal Investigator of the PUNCH mission, stated on February 4 that “one instrument looks close to the sun, where it’s bright, and another looks farther away where it’s fainter,” ensuring detailed observations of solar activity. The mission includes a narrow-field imager that will simulate a continuous solar eclipse, offering an unprecedented view of the sun’s corona.

Next Steps for the Missions

Both SPHEREx and PUNCH will now enter their designated orbits and undergo initial system checks. SPHEREx is expected to begin its all-sky mapping within six months, while PUNCH will commence its solar observations following a 90-day commissioning phase. Each mission is planned to last for at least two years, contributing valuable data to the study of the universe and the sun’s influence on space weather.