On March 11, 2025, at 11:10 p.m. EST, successfully SpaceX Falcon 9 launched NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission faced several setbacks, including California wildfires and agency turmoil.
What is SPHEREx?
SPHEREx is a Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer. PUNCH is a Polarimeter that Unifies the Corona and Heliosphere. After the successful launch, SPHEREx lead engineer Farah Alibay from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory expressed joy at SPHEREx reaching space.
Falcon 9 lifts off from pad 4E in California! pic.twitter.com/1Ef7iIBk2A
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025Both SPHEREx and PUNCH weigh approximately 756 Kg. SPHEREx’s mission is valued at $488 million, and PUNCH’s is valued at $165 million. SPHEREx’s purpose is to map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colours, which is the first in human history.
Also, it uses infrared wavelengths to reveal distant cosmic objects stretched by the universe’s expansion. If we compare SPHEREx with the James Webb Space Telescope, SPHEREx uses infrared wavelengths like JWST but focuses on wide-range mapping. JWST give detailed information in small sections.
SPHEREx has a sun-synchronous polar orbit because it can protect it from solar heat interference. It’s size is 8.5 feet tall (2.6 meters) with a conical design. SPHEREx is a two-year mission; it will complete an all-sky map every six months.
Deployment of @NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory complete, beginning the telescope’s two-year mission to collect data on more than 450 million galaxies and 100+ million stars in the Milky Way pic.twitter.com/Vpg4uMPhOu
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025What is PUNCH?
PUNCH aims to study how the sun’s corona transforms into solar wind within the heliosphere. The heliosphere gives an understanding of solar wind dynamics and aids space weather forecasting. Space weather, like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), affects power grids, GPS, and astronauts.
PUNCH has Four satellites, three wide-field imagers, and one narrow-field imager. In which a narrow field imager creates an artificial solar eclipse for continuous high-definition corona observation. Wide-field imagers use polarimetry for a 3D map of the corona and inner solar system.
All four PUNCH satellites deployed pic.twitter.com/MJbRaRqb0o
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025PUNCH orbit is a Polar, sun-synchronous orbit, always in sunlight, contrasting with SPHEREx. PUNCH is a two-year science mission following a 90-day commissioning period. SPHEREx will collect data on over 450 million galaxies and 100 million Milky Way stars.
Editor’s Recommendations
- Black Holes Feed Themselves: NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Reveals Cosmic Secrets
- Could Asteroid 2024 YR4 Slam Into Earth in 2032? Here’s What NASA Says
- Supervoid Secrets: Can Astronomers Solve the Hubble Tension?
- Lunar Landers in Transit: A New Era of Moon Exploration Takes Flight, Landing Soon.
- Parker Solar Probe Breaks Records: Closest Approach to the Sun Yet!
