NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions are set to launch together, with one mission aiming to answer big-picture questions about our universe and the other seeking a better understanding of our Sun.
SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) is an infrared space telescope designed to map the entire sky like none before it. SPHEREx will study the origins of the universe, galaxies, and the ingredients for life in our galaxy.
PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) is a constellation of four small satellites dedicated to studying the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the solar corona, and how it extends into space to form the solar wind. Understanding these processes is critical to predicting space weather and its impact on Earth’s magnetic field.
Together, SPHEREx and PUNCH demonstrate NASA’s commitment to uncovering the fundamental forces that shape our universe and our own star.
For more information on the missions, visit:
https://nasa.gov/SPHEREx
https://nasa.gov/punch
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/KSC
