NASA’s newest space telescope, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer), has successfully captured its first images, revealing a breathtaking view of the cosmos filled with 100,000 stars, galaxies, and nebulae.
Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on March 11, SPHEREx recently completed a critical milestone by powering on its instruments and capturing its inaugural images on March 27. The newly released images, taken by three different detectors, showcase the telescope’s full field of view, which spans an area 20 times the width of the full moon in the night sky.
"Our spacecraft has opened its eyes on the universe," said Olivier Doré, a SPHEREx project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech. "It’s performing just as it was designed to."
Developed over ten years at a cost of $488 million, SPHEREx is designed to map the universe in both optical and infrared light. Over its planned two-year mission, the telescope will complete 11,000 orbits around Earth, scanning the entire night sky four times. With 102 infrared color sensors, it is expected to capture data from more than 450 million galaxies, producing approximately 600 exposures per day.
Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe
By analyzing infrared light using a technique called spectroscopy, SPHEREx will help scientists investigate some of the most profound questions in cosmology:
Galactic Evolution: Tracing the formation and development of galaxies.
Origins of Life: Mapping cosmic ice and dust to understand how life-supporting molecules formed.
Big Bang & Inflation: Examining the rapid expansion of the universe after its birth.
SPHEREx will also work alongside NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by identifying regions of interest for more detailed studies.
Before beginning full-scale operations in April, NASA engineers have been meticulously testing the telescope, ensuring its delicate infrared sensors cool to -350°F (-210°C) and that its optics remain precisely aligned. So far, the tests and first images confirm that the telescope is functioning as expected.
"This is the high point of spacecraft checkout—it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for," said Beth Fabinsky, SPHEREx deputy project manager at JPL. "And wow! Just wow!"
With these early successes, SPHEREx is on track to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos, providing an unprecedented view of the universe’s history and evolution.