Exploring space and sun: NASA launches missions to unravel the cosmic mysteries

SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization) and Ices Explorer, is set to undertake a comprehensive all-sky survey. Utilizing spectroscopy, it aims to investigate 450 million galaxies while also searching for water ice and other vital molecules within the Milky Way. The mission seeks to uncover the evolution of the universe and identify the origins of life's essential components.

“We now eagerly await the scientific breakthroughs from SPHEREx’s all-sky survey — including insights into how the universe began and where the ingredients of life reside,” said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The four small satellites of NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission successfully separated from the rocket and established communication with ground controllers after launching alongside SPHEREx. PUNCH will study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, and examine how it generates the solar wind—a continuous stream of charged particles that affects the entire solar system.

The two missions are set to function within a low-Earth, Sun-synchronous orbit. SPHEREx is engineered to protect its telescope from direct sunlight, ensuring its capability to survey the space, whereas PUNCH will keep a clear line of sight on the solar wind as it traverses space.

“Questions like ‘How did we get here?’ and ‘Are we alone?’ have been asked by humans for all of history,” said James Fanson, SPHEREx project manager at JPL. “I think it’s incredible that we are alive at a time when we have the scientific tools to actually start to answer them.”

SPHEREx is set to enhance the capabilities of telescopes such as James Webb and Hubble by conducting comprehensive sky maps every six months, providing a wide-ranging view of cosmic evolution.

Earlier, it was reported that NASA and SpaceX will launch two new missions on a single rocket.