The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced plans to launch a new space telescope mission called the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) in 2023. This groundbreaking mission aims to help astronomers understand the evolution of the Universe and quantify the commonality of life ingredients within it.
The Objective of SPHEREx Mission
With a keen focus on optical and near-infrared light, SPHEREx will survey the sky extensively. This data-driven mission will enable astronomers to gather crucial data on over 300 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars within our Milky Way. Additionally, SPHEREx is designed to generate a comprehensive map of the entire sky, depicted in 96 distinct color bands.
The Significance of the SPHEREx Mission
The primary objective of SPHEREx lies in its search for life’s fundamental ingredients—water and organic matter—within the Milky Way. The mission’s scope extends beyond our galaxy to wider regions of the Universe where star formation occurs. These areas will provide scientists with targets for more detailed research in future missions such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope. SPHEREx is expected to deliver an unprecedented galactic map containing ‘fingerprints’ from the earliest moments in the Universe’s history. The mission will also provide new insights into one of the greatest scientific mysteries: what triggered the rapid expansion of the Universe less than a nanosecond after the Big Bang.
| Mission | Objectives | Year of Launch |
|---|---|---|
| SPHEREx | Search for life’s fundamental ingredients, gather data on galaxies and stars, create a comprehensive map of the sky | 2023 |
| James Webb Space Telescope | Study every phase in the Universe’s history, from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of solar systems | 2021 |
| Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) | Study dark energy, perform galactic and extragalactic surveys, explore exoplanets | TBD |
The James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope equipped with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. Slated for launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in 2021, Webb aims to study every phase in the history of our Universe. This includes the initial luminous afterglow following the Big Bang, the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life-sustaining planets like Earth, and the evolution of our Solar System. Webb is the result of an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST)
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is another NASA mission designed to study dark energy, conduct galactic and extragalactic surveys, and explore exoplanets. By aiming to comprehend the elusive dark energy and widen our understanding of the universe, WFIRST contributes significantly to the field of astrophysics.
