NASA SPHEREx mission will launch in the next two years, surveying 450 million galaxies with a state-of-the-art space observatory. The project will use cutting-edge infrared technologies to provide fresh light on the formation and evolution of the cosmos.
By scanning the whole sky four times, SPHEREx—an acronym for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer—will provide scientists with a three-dimensional picture of cosmic structures.
Launch Specifics and Mission Objectives
SpaceX will launch the observatory aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission has been under planning for about ten years and has a $488 million budget.
NASA SPHEREx mission will use spectroscopy to analyze light from distant galaxies, unlocking information about their composition, density, and temperature. This data will help researchers:
- Understand galaxy formation and evolution
- Investigate the origins of water and organic materials
- Test theories about cosmic inflation and the Big Bang
Discovering the Secrets of the Universe
Cosmic inflation, which postulates that the universe expanded trillions of times in less than a second following the Big Bang, may be supported by SPHEREx, according to scientists. By mapping galaxies in 102 infrared colors, the mission may help explain how large-scale cosmic structures formed.
Additionally, the telescope’s ability to trace water in space could shed light on the conditions that led to life on Earth and potentially elsewhere.
“This is a new capability, and with any new capability comes the potential for discoveries and surprises,” said Jamie Bock, SPHEREx’s principal investigator.
Source: NBC News