SPHEREx
Sign in to saveAlso known as MIDEX-9, Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, & Ices Explorer, Explorer 102
SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) is a near-infrared space observatory that is performing an all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra of approximately 450 million galaxies. In February 2019, SPHEREx was selected by NASA for its next Medium-Class Explorers mission, beating out two competing mission concepts: Arcus and FINESSE. SPHEREx launched on 12 March 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket alongside the PUNCH microsatellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The principal investigator is James Bock at California Inst
Key facts
- Spaceflight.name
- SPHEREx
- Spaceflight.names_list
- Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer
- Spaceflight.image
- SPHEREx Spacecraft on Work Stand in Astrotech (KSC-20250116-PH-BMF01 0002).jpg
- Spaceflight.image_caption
- SPHEREx on a work stand, being prepared for launch
- Spaceflight.mission_type
- Astrophysics
- Spaceflight.operator
- NASA
- Spaceflight.mission_duration
- Planned: 25 months Elapsed:
- Spaceflight.manufacturer
- BAE Systems Inc. (Previously Ball Aerospace & Technologies)
- Spaceflight.dimensions
- tall, wide and deep
- Spaceflight.power
- 750 watts
- Spaceflight.launch_date
- 12 March 2025, 03:10:00 UTC (11 March 2025, 8:10 pm PDT)
- Spaceflight.launch_rocket
- Falcon 9 Block 5
- Spaceflight.launch_site
- Vandenberg, SLC-4E
- Spaceflight.launch_contractor
- SpaceX
- Spaceflight.orbit_reference
- Geocentric orbit
- Spaceflight.orbit_regime
- Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit
- Spaceflight.orbit_inclination
- 97°
- Spaceflight.orbit_period
- 90 minutes
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer
- Diameter
- 3.2
- Mass
- 502
- Official website
- science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex
- Image
- SPHEREx Spacecraft on Work Stand in Astrotech (KSC-20250117-PH-CAO01 0019).jpg
- Height
- 2.6
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- SPHEREx
- service life
- 27
- UTC date of spacecraft launch
- 2025-03-12
Sources (9)
via Wikidata · CC0
~5 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Overview
- Mission
- Spacecraft/telescope
- History
- References
- External links
SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) is a near-infrared space observatory that is performing an all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra of approximately 450 million galaxies. In February 2019, SPHEREx was selected by NASA for its next Medium-Class Explorers mission, beating out two competing mission concepts: Arcus and FINESSE. SPHEREx launched on 12 March 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket alongside the PUNCH microsatellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The principal investigator is James Bock at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California.
== Overview == thumb|Artist's impression of SPHEREx in space