NASA's 'SPHEREx' infrared space telescope is launching this week. Here's why it's a big deal

By Sharmila Kuthunur published 38 minutes ago

"SPHEREx is a testament to doing big science with a small telescope."



NASA's new SPHEREx infrared space telescope is set to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 28. (Image credit: BAE Systems)


Earth will gain a new robotic companion this week.

NASA's latest space telescope, SPHEREx — short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer — is set to lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Friday (Feb. 28) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The $488 million mission is designed to map the entire sky in 3D, in wavelengths invisible to the human eye. The two-year effort aims to gather a big-picture view of more than 450 million galaxies and over 100 million stars in our home galaxy, the Milky Way, a comprehensive catalog of all the objects radiating in the universe by measuring the glow from hundreds of millions of galaxies, including those that are too small or distant to be seen by other telescopes, according to NASA.

Scientists say the treasure trove of data will answer fundamental questions that can only be addressed by examining the universe from a broad, all-encompassing perspective. These include why the large-scale structure of the universe appears as it does, how galaxies form and evolve and the origins of water and other key ingredients for life in our galaxy.

"SPHEREx is a testament to doing big science with a small telescope," Beth Fabinsky, the deputy project manager of SPHEREx at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, told reporters last month.

More:
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/nasas-spherex-infrared-space-telescope-is-launching-this-week-heres-why-its-a-big-deal