NASA launches SPHEREx mission: Spacecraft successfully launched... 450 million galaxies to be mapped
NASA has launched the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) mission to collect detailed information about the formation and evolution of the universe. The spacecraft was launched on Tuesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It was reported that SPHEREx will study more than 450 million galaxies over two years and collect data on the expansion and chemical structure of the universe.
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The launch of SPHEREx was delayed several times due to technical reviews and weather conditions. NASA noted that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SPHEREx spacecraft was successfully sent into space at approximately 20:10.
As part of the mission, it was stated that the spacecraft will observe the universe in 102 different wavelengths. NASA announced that the project has gone down in history as the most comprehensive mission in this field.
NASA realized the SPHEREx project with a budget of 488 million dollars. It was announced that the spacecraft will scan the sky four times during its two-year mission duration. Officials pointed out that the collected data will help in understanding the cosmic phenomenon called 'inflation,' which caused the expansion of the universe.
It was stated that the spacecraft will analyze the chemical compositions of galaxies, stars, and other celestial bodies using infrared light. According to NASA, the infrared light to be used in the project is known for having long wavelengths that cannot be seen by the human eye. It was underscored that infrared light will provide important information about the temperature, density, and chemical structure of celestial bodies.
NASA stated that thanks to the spectroscopy technique, the collected data will be separated into different wavelengths 'like a prism separating sunlight into colors.'
Officials emphasized that SPHEREx will seek answers to fundamental questions about the origins and evolution of the universe. It was announced that the mission will examine the rapid expansion process that occurred in the first seconds after the Big Bang.
NASA shared the information that the spacecraft will collect detailed data on the chemical structure of galaxies and ice reservoirs in the universe.
SPACEX ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED
SPHEREx SENT SIGNAL
NASA stated that data on more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way and 450 million galaxies will be collected during the SPHEREx mission. NASA's mission control team reported that they have successfully received the first signals from SPHEREx.
It was confirmed that the spacecraft is operating nominally and its power is stable. In the coming weeks, the team will perform calibrations to prepare the observatory for research operations and bring the telescope to its planned operating temperature.
GOAL IS TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE
It was stated that the spacecraft will serve NASA's fundamental goals, such as discovering the secrets of the universe and contributing to the search for life elsewhere, during its two-year mission. NASA reported that the 3D sky map the mission will provide will be a new source of information for the scientific world.
It was conveyed that SPHEREx's wide-area scanning capability will complement the work of more target-oriented telescopes like Hubble and James Webb. It was announced that with the collected data, a new encyclopedia of information about the universe will be created, accessible to scientists around the world.
