Derrick Henry
BAE Systems has completed delivery of NASA‘s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, or SPHEREx, observatory to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SPHEREx will be launched into space alongside the space agency’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, or PUNCH, mission in February aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, BAE said Friday. It will conduct spectral surveys and collect data about the universe during its minimum two-year mission.
Advancing NASA’s Space Mission
The project underscores BAE’s partnership with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology and other organizations to advance NASA’s mission, according to Brian Pramann, SPHEREx program manager for BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems. “After years of complex design, manufacturing, integration and testing efforts, our team can’t wait to see SPHEREx launch,” he added.
Under its agreement with NASA, BAE built the observatory’s spacecraft bus and telescope. The company will also provide spacecraft integration, environmental testing, launch operations and spacecraft commissioning support services for the SPHEREx mission.
Tasked to Create 3D Maps of Galaxies and Stars
Once it is operational in space, SPHEREx will survey the sky in near-infrared light using an advanced imager developed by JPL and Caltech. It is programmed to conduct four surveys to create 3D and colored maps of over 450 million galaxies and millions of stars in the Milky Way.
The observatory will gather data to provide scientists with fresh insights into the universe’s formation, help better understand galaxies’ evolution and discover water and other life-sustaining molecules in areas where planets are forming. SPHEREx will also identify new targets of interest for follow-up studies by other observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
