NASA has launched the SPHEREx telescope on a mission to explore the early universe and search for hidden water in the Milky Way. The telescope was sent into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
Key Mission Details
- Objective:
- Study the origins of the universe and investigate cosmic inflation, the rapid expansion after the Big Bang (13.8 billion years ago).
- Create a 3D map of the universe using 102 wavelengths of light.
- Analyze over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars.
- Scientific Goals:
- Detect frozen water and molecules like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide on space dust, where planets and stars form.
- Search for traces of the Big Bang to understand the universe’s first moments.
- Additional Mission – PUNCH:
- NASA also launched PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) to study the solar wind.
- Four small satellites will observe how the sun’s corona transforms into the solar wind, which can affect satellites and power grids on Earth.
This mission will provide critical insights into the formation of the universe, planetary evolution, and the sun’s impact on space weather.
