NASA and SpaceX have launched two new missions aboard a single rocket to collect data from the Sun. The two missions, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe) and PUNCH (Polarimeter for Unifying the Heliosphere), lifted off at 8:10 AM Pacific Time from SpaceX’s launch facility.
Following the launch, NASA confirmed that all instruments had been successfully deployed.
SPHEREx is designed to survey the sky in optical and infrared light, gathering data from one million stars within the Milky Way galaxy. According to NASA, the mission will scan the entire sky every six months, creating detailed maps across 96 color bands.
The PUNCH mission will focus on observing the Sun and its outer atmosphere. It will utilize four suitcase-sized satellites positioned in Earth’s lower orbit to work together, providing three-dimensional observations of solar activity.
These combined efforts aim to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s influence on space weather and the cosmic environment.
