NASA SPHEREx Launch, Mission and All-Sky Survey
NASA launched SPHEREx on March 11, 2025 to conduct an all-sky spectral survey of hundreds of millions of galaxies and stars.
Timeline
- March 11, 2025: SPHEREx launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on a Falcon 9.
- Planned two-year mission: The observatory is designed to map the entire sky four times.
NASA’s SPHEREx observatory launched on March 11, 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Its full name is Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, which explains the shorter mission name used in coverage. [1][2]
SPHEREx is designed to conduct an all-sky spectral survey in optical and near-infrared light. NASA says the planned two-year mission will collect data on more than 450 million galaxies and more than 100 million Milky Way stars, mapping the entire celestial sky four times. [1][2]
The observatory combines imaging with spectroscopy, dividing light into many wavelength bands so researchers can learn about distance and composition. Its surveys are intended to study inflation in the early universe, the collective glow of galaxies, and water and organic molecules in interstellar material. [1][2]
SPHEREx shared its launch with NASA’s PUNCH mission, a constellation of four small satellites studying how the Sun’s corona becomes the solar wind. The missions traveled together on the rocket but have different spacecraft, teams, destinations and science objectives. [2]
An all-sky survey emphasizes broad, consistent coverage rather than the close-up detail of a narrowly pointed observatory. SPHEREx complements telescopes such as Hubble and Webb: researchers can use its wide spectral maps to identify large-scale patterns and targets that other observatories may examine more deeply. [1][2]
NASA states that SPHEREx data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech and made publicly available through the NASA-IPAC Infrared Science Archive. Launch marked the start of the mission; commissioning, calibration and repeated survey passes are necessary before the complete planned sky maps exist. [1][2]
The spacecraft does not use a conventional exposed telescope mirror at visible wavelengths alone. Its instrument observes many near-infrared colors across the sky, allowing scientists to build spectra for enormous numbers of objects. Repeated surveys also help researchers compare measurements and control systematic effects in the final maps. [1][2]