NASA launches two missions to study origin of universe and outer atmosphere of Sun

By Alimat Aliyeva

NASA has launched two exciting missions to study the origin of the universe and the outer atmosphere of the Sun. The SPHEREx telescope and the PUNCH satellite were launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Azernews reports.

After several delays since February due to technical checks and weather conditions, the spacecraft are now set to map the entire cosmos over the next two years, collecting data on hundreds of millions of galaxies.

SPHEREx will create a three-dimensional map of the sky by analyzing the light from these galaxies to uncover the history of the universe. The data it collects could provide invaluable insights into how the universe evolved after the Big Bang, which occurred about 14 billion years ago.

The Korea Aerospace Administration, which participated in the mission, confirmed that the SPHEREx telescope entered its initial operational phase following a successful launch. According to Yonhap News Agency, the telescope separated from the rocket and successfully established communication with the Svalbard ground station in Norway, part of NASA's near-space network.

The new $488 million SPHEREx telescope was developed collaboratively by the Korea Institute of Astronomy and Space Sciences and NASA. Over its two-year mission, the telescope will explore outer space in detail, following an initial 37-day operation designed to assist scientists in studying the formation and evolution of the universe.

NASA officials stated that by measuring the large-scale distribution of galaxies, scientists will better understand cosmic inflation—a brief period of rapid expansion that occurred in the early universe. The telescope will also search for water ice and other molecules essential for life in the Milky Way, potentially providing key clues about the habitability of distant exoplanets.

Meanwhile, the PUNCH mission is designed to observe the solar coronal wind—an ongoing stream of charged particles that affects space weather. Scientists monitoring these interactions hope to improve forecasts of solar storms, which could disrupt satellites and power grids on Earth. Contrary to the traditional view of space as a vacuum, researchers now understand that the space between planets is filled with turbulent solar wind. PUNCH will help us understand how these solar winds form and how they create space weather, offering valuable insights into their impact on Earth.

Both missions will operate in low Earth orbit. SPHEREx will be managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while PUNCH will be operated by the Southwest Research Institute. The launch of these missions marks a significant leap forward in space exploration, with the potential to reshape our understanding of the universe and our place in it.

The combined focus on the distant cosmos and our Sun’s influence on space weather underscores the growing interconnectedness of space research, with both missions aiming to unravel some of the most fundamental mysteries of the universe. As SPHEREx maps galaxies and PUNCH studies solar winds, these missions will help pave the way for future advancements in astronomy and space weather prediction.