Payload (satellite)
SPHEREX (MIDEX 9)
SPHEREX (MIDEX 9) is a satellite launched 2025-03-12 by United States.
About
SPHEREx 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 11 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.
Right now
Dotted: where it has been. Solid: the next orbit and a half. Orbit data from CelesTrak, map from NASA Blue Marble. All credits