A groundbreaking mission has commenced as NASA's SPHEREx observatory successfully embarked on its journey into space. This advanced telescope, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from California, is set to undertake a two-year endeavor aimed at crafting an intricate three-dimensional map of the entire celestial sphere. After years of preparation and collaboration with SpaceX, SPHEREx detached from the launch vehicle at midnight Eastern time on March 12th, marking the beginning of its low Earth orbit phase. Throughout its mission, SPHEREx will maintain a consistent alignment relative to the Sun, ensuring optimal observation conditions.

Each 98-minute orbit allows SPHEREx to capture a comprehensive 360-degree band of the sky in both visible and near-infrared wavelengths. As Earth orbits the Sun, the telescope will accumulate additional strips of data, enabling it to complete a full sky map within six months. Over the course of two years, SPHEREx aims to produce detailed images of over 450 million galaxies and gather valuable information on more than 100 million stars within our own Milky Way galaxy. Through a process called spectroscopy, SPHEREx will dissect infrared light into 102 distinct hues, revealing crucial details about celestial objects' compositions and distances from Earth. This wealth of data promises to offer insights into the aftermath of the Big Bang and potentially provide evidence of cosmic inflation, a theory regarding the rapid expansion of the early universe.

The findings from SPHEREx will not only enhance our understanding of the cosmos but also pave the way for future discoveries. By unraveling the mysteries of distant galaxies and stellar phenomena, this mission underscores humanity's unwavering pursuit of knowledge and exploration. Additionally, SPHEREx's companion satellites, collectively known as PUNCH, will embark on their own mission to study the Sun's corona through polarized white-light imagery. These satellites aim to improve our comprehension of solar wind formation and contribute to predicting space weather events that impact Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Together, these missions exemplify the collaborative spirit and scientific curiosity that drive humanity forward in the quest to explore the universe.