NASA Launches SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions to Explore Universe and Solar Wind

NASA’s SPHEREx observatory launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 11, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, aiming to study the origins of the universe and search for life’s essential ingredients.

SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, will map the entire sky every six months, creating a 3D survey of 450 million galaxies to investigate cosmic history and inflation.

The mission will also analyze frozen water ice and carbon-based molecules within our galaxy, providing insight into potential building blocks of life.

Joining SPHEREx on the Falcon 9 were four small satellites from NASA’s PUNCH mission, designed to observe how the Sun’s corona transforms into the solar wind that affects Earth’s space weather.

Both missions will operate in a Sun-synchronous orbit, with SPHEREx remaining shielded from sunlight for optimal observation and PUNCH capturing uninterrupted views of the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

SPHEREx begins its two-year prime mission after a one-month calibration period, while PUNCH undergoes a 90-day commissioning phase to align its satellites into formation.

The dual launch marks a significant step in NASA’s efforts to uncover the universe’s secrets and better understand the Sun’s impact on our solar system.