NASA is preparing to launch two significant missions, SPHEREx and PUNCH, targeting late February 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) will create a comprehensive 3D map of the sky, utilizing spectroscopy across over 100 colors to examine the origins of the universe. This observatory will analyze hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies in infrared light, enabling studies of cosmic inflation and the search for essential life ingredients like water and carbon dioxide.
Simultaneously, the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission will deploy four small satellites to investigate the Sun's outer atmosphere and the solar wind. These satellites will work collectively to map the transition region between the solar corona and the solar wind.
Media accreditation is open for the launch, with deadlines set for both U.S. and international press. NASA will provide additional details on the media event schedule as the launch date approaches.
The SPHEREx observatory is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the science analysis will involve teams from multiple institutions in the U.S., South Korea, and Taiwan. The PUNCH mission is led by the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
For updates on launch preparations, visit the SPHEREx and PUNCH blogs.