NASA has successfully launched its newest space telescope into orbit with the mission to map the entire sky, offering an unprecedented view of hundreds of millions of galaxies. The telescope aims to shed light on the cosmic glow shared by these galaxies from the dawn of time. Launched by SpaceX from California, the Spherex observatory is now on a trajectory over Earth’s poles, accompanied by four small satellites tasked with studying the sun’s dynamics. As Spherex separated from the rocket, it began its journey in space with Earth’s blue expanse serving as a backdrop.
The Spherex mission, costing $488 million, seeks to unravel the mysteries of galaxy formation and evolution over billions of years and provide insights into the universe’s rapid expansion during its infancy. Within our own Milky Way galaxy, Spherex will search for water and life’s building blocks in the icy regions between stars, where new solar systems are born.
Spherex, weighing 1,110 pounds (or 500 kilograms and comparable to a grand piano), will take six months to survey the entire sky with its infrared capabilities and broad field of view. Over the course of two years, it will complete four full-sky surveys, orbiting from pole to pole at an altitude of 400 miles (650 kilometers). Although Spherex won’t capture galaxies with the high-resolution detail of NASA’s Hubble and Webb space telescopes, its focus is on the aggregate cosmic glow from countless galaxies, including those formed soon after the Big Bang.
According to Jamie Bock, the mission’s lead scientist from the California Institute of Technology, this approach offers a distinct perspective by capturing the collective light emitted throughout cosmic history. This makes it possible for scientists to identify light sources that may have been previously overlooked. By analyzing this universal glow, researchers hope to glean information about the earliest galaxies and their evolution.
The telescope is equipped with infrared detectors designed to discern 102 colors beyond human perception, promising the most detailed and colorful map of the cosmos ever created. Deputy project manager Beth Fabinsky from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory likened the view to observing the universe through rainbow-colored glasses. To maintain the necessary ultra-cold temperature for its detectors—minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 210 degrees Celsius)—Spherex features a distinctive design. It incorporates a three-layer aluminum-honeycomb shield resembling a protective collar, intended to guard against solar and terrestrial heat.
In addition to the telescope’s mission, SpaceX’s Falcon rocket also deployed four NASA satellites, part of the Punch mission, from Vandenberg Space Force Base. These satellites occupy a separate polar orbit with the aim of studying the sun’s corona, the outer atmosphere, and the solar wind that it produces. The launch, scheduled for the evening, faced a two-week delay due to issues with the rocket and other unforeseen challenges.
