After six weeks of meticulous preparation and testing, NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) space observatory has officially commenced its groundbreaking science mission. Launched on March 11, the observatory began full science operations on May 1, and it is now capturing approximately 3,600 unique images each day in a bold endeavor to map the entire sky in extraordinary detail — a mission that promises to reshape our understanding of the universe.
After weeks of preparation, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory has begun its science mission, taking about 3,600 unique images per day to create a map of the cosmos like no other. Credit: NASA
Over the next 25 months, SPHEREx will complete more than 11,000 orbits around Earth, systematically capturing data across 102 infrared wavelengths. This vast catalog of imagery, consisting of nearly 600 exposures per day, will be digitally stitched together to form four comprehensive all-sky maps. These maps will not only chart the three-dimensional positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies, but also illuminate the universe’s deepest mysteries — including events that occurred within the first split second after the Big Bang.
“Thanks to the hard work of teams across NASA, industry, and academia that built this mission, SPHEREx is operating just as we’d expected,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division. “It will produce maps of the full sky unlike any we’ve had before.”
Unlike previous missions, SPHEREx surveys the entire sky — not just select regions — using infrared spectroscopy. This method allows scientists to study cosmic light across a vast range of invisible wavelengths. Each six-detector exposure reveals a different slice of light, helping researchers unlock data on galaxy formation, cosmic inflation, and even the chemical building blocks for life.
NASA's SPHEREX mission is observing the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, or wavelengths of light not visible to the human eye. This image shows a section of sky in one wavelength (3.29 microns), revealing a cloud of dust made of a molecule similar to soot or smoke.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Orbiting Earth from pole to pole about 14.5 times per day, SPHEREx gradually shifts its field of view as our planet journeys around the Sun. This means that within six months, the observatory will have peered into every corner of space. Instead of relying on moving mirrors or thrusters, SPHEREx uses a system of internal reaction wheels to reorient itself between exposures — an efficient and stable approach to data collection.
“There’s a poetic symmetry to what we’re doing,” said Jim Fanson, project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “We’re exploring the tiniest scales of the universe’s beginnings by looking at the largest cosmic structures today.”
The mission’s primary goal is to probe the phenomenon of cosmic inflation — a burst of exponential expansion that took place a trillion-trillionth of a second after the Big Bang. By analyzing the subtle imprints of this inflation in the large-scale distribution of galaxies, scientists hope to unravel how such a staggering event occurred and what it tells us about the fundamental nature of the universe.
Beyond cosmology, SPHEREx will examine the raw ingredients for life. It will make over 9 million observations of interstellar clouds within the Milky Way, searching for key compounds like water and organic molecules. Many scientists believe Earth’s oceans were seeded by such icy materials during the solar system’s formation. By mapping these regions, SPHEREx could provide clues about how common such conditions might be across the galaxy.
“Some of us have spent over a decade working toward this moment,” said Jamie Bock, principal investigator for the mission. “The instrument is performing exactly as we hoped, which means we’re ready for the incredible science — and possibly surprises — that lie ahead.”
SPHEREx is part of NASA’s broader portfolio of astrophysics missions and will complement future endeavors like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Together, these observatories aim to answer humanity’s most profound questions: Where do we come from? How did the universe begin? And what ingredients are necessary for life to emerge?
The mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with contributions from BAE Systems, Caltech, and research institutions across the U.S., South Korea, and Taiwan. Data from SPHEREx will be made publicly available through the NASA-IPAC Infrared Science Archive, ensuring that its scientific impact will resonate across the global astronomy community for years to come.
As SPHEREx begins its celestial survey, humanity takes another step closer to deciphering the cosmic code — one exposure at a time.
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