NASA’s latest space telescope, Spherex, launched into orbit on Tuesday, aiming to conduct an unprecedented survey of the night sky. This mission, underpinned by a $488 million budget, seeks to explore the formation and evolution of hundreds of millions of galaxies as well as the rapid expansion of the universe in its formative moments.
Lifted by a SpaceX Falcon rocket from California, Spherex is set to orbit between Earth’s poles and will be accompanied by four small satellites designated to study the sun. Once detached from the rocket, Spherex ventured into space, leaving behind a view of Earth.
The primary objective of Spherex is to address fundamental questions regarding cosmic history, particularly how galaxies coalesced over billions of years and the origins of the universe’s swift expansion. In our Milky Way galaxy, Spherex will also search for water and essential compounds necessary for life, focusing on the icy clouds where new solar systems are born.
The observatory, weighing approximately 500 kilograms—equivalent to a grand piano—will map the entire sky using infrared technology. Over the next two years, Spherex plans to execute four comprehensive sky surveys while orbiting at an altitude of 650 kilometres.
Rather than presenting ultra-detailed images like NASA’s Hubble or Webb telescopes, which feature narrow fields of view, Spherex will capture a broader cosmic glow and gather data on the combined light from various galaxies, including those that formed shortly after the Big Bang. This approach will provide scientists insights into previously missed light sources and how the earliest galaxies originated.
Chief scientist Jamie Bock from Caltech explained that while Spherex won’t directly capture images of the Big Bang itself, it will observe the aftermath and chronicle the universe’s beginnings. The telescope’s infrared capabilities can detect 102 spectral colours not visible to the naked eye, offering a rich, diverse mapping of the universe. In the words of deputy project manager Beth Fabinsky, it allows us to “look at the universe through a set of rainbow-coloured glasses.”
To ensure the infrared detectors operate at extremely low temperatures (minus 210 degrees Celsius), Spherex is equipped with a distinctive design featuring three interlocking aluminium-honeycomb cones that protect against solar and terrestrial heat.
The launch also included a set of NASA satellites named Punch, which will independently study the sun’s corona and the solar winds from a separate orbit.
The evening launch faced a two-week delay due to various issues with the rocket, but ultimately proceeded successfully, marking a significant milestone in astronomical exploration.