SPHEREx Mission: NASA's SPHEREx telescope will map over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars to uncover the origins of life's key ingredients in the universe.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Mar 18, 2025
PUNCH Mission: A constellation of four small satellites, PUNCH will study the sun’s corona and solar wind to understand their impact on the solar system.
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Shared Launch: Both missions launched together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, saving costs and maximizing scientific output.
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Sun-Synchronous Orbit: SPHEREx and PUNCH will orbit Earth’s poles, maintaining a consistent orientation relative to the sun.
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SPHEREx’s Infrared Map: The telescope will create a 102-color infrared map of the sky, revealing the chemical composition of stars and galaxies.
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Search for Life’s Ingredients: SPHEREx will hunt for water, carbon dioxide, and other life-essential compounds in molecular clouds and planetary systems.
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PUNCH’s Solar Wind Study: The mission will provide 3D observations of how the sun’s corona transitions into solar wind, crucial for understanding space weather.
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Space Weather Insights: PUNCH’s data will help predict solar storms, which can disrupt satellites and power grids on Earth.
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Complementary Missions: SPHEREx’s wide sky surveys will work alongside targeted telescopes like James Webb for deeper cosmic insights.
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Solar Maximum Timing: PUNCH will observe the sun during its peak activity, capturing more solar flares and storms for analysis.