NASA’s SPHEREx Set for Launch 🚀

NASA’s innovative SPHEREx infrared space telescope is launching this Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The $488 million mission will map the entire sky in 3D over two years, cataloging data from over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars. By splitting light into 102 colors with its advanced spectrophotometer, SPHEREx aims to reveal the secrets of cosmic inflation, galaxy formation, and the distribution of key life-building molecules across interstellar space. Sharing the ride is NASA’s PUNCH mission, which will study the sun’s heliosphere, further expanding our understanding of space. Photo Credit: jpl.nasa.gov