NASA launches SPHEREx with Korea-U.S. developed space telescope

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NASA launches SPHEREx with Korea-U.S. developed space telescope

Published: 12 Mar. 2025, 18:40 Updated: 12 Mar. 2025, 19:31

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SPHEREx space telescope lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:10 p.m. on March 11, in this photo released by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. SPHEREx, a space telescope jointly developed by South Korea and the United States, has entered an initial operation stage following its successful launch, Seoul's aerospace agency said. [NASA]

NASA's new SPHEREx space telescope, jointly developed with South Korea, was successfully launched Monday from California, marking a milestone in space exploration as the first telescope capable of creating a three-dimensional infrared map of the cosmos.

SPHEREx lifted off at 11:10 p.m. on Monday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Korea Aerospace Administration on Wednesday.

The telescope separated from the rocket 42 minutes after launch and entered its target sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 650 kilometers. Around one hour and 20 minutes later, it successfully established communication with NASA’s Near Space Network (NSN) through the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway.

SPHEREx was jointly developed with the Daejeon-based Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

The launch was originally scheduled for Feb. 28, but technical preparations for Falcon 9, adjustments in the launch sequence and unfavorable weather conditions forced multiple delays.

The $488 million SPHEREx mission has now entered its initial operational phase, requiring time to adjust to space conditions. Over the next 37 days, the telescope will undergo optical and spectroscopic performance tests, along with its first trial observations.

The telescope itself measures 1.5 meters in width and length and 1.3 meters in height in a megaphone-like structure.

It is able to scan 100 percent of the sky in 102 different infrared wavelengths, a first in astronomical history. Previous infrared telescopes could only observe four to six wavelengths and focused on small, detailed regions of space.

SPHEREx’s wide-field imaging capability will allow it to observe 100 million stars in the Milky Way and 450 million galaxies beyond.

Over the next two years, SPHEREx will conduct more than 600 full-sky scans.

The SPHEREx space telescope moves to secure its orbital position after lifting off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:10 p.m. on March 11, in this photo released by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. SPHEREx, a space telescope jointly developed by South Korea and the United States, has entered an initial operation stage following its successful launch, Seoul's aerospace agency said. [NASA]

A key mission for SPHEREx is to search for water and carbon dioxide, fundamental markers of potential extraterrestrial life. Because the telescope can survey the entire sky, it will be able to identify interstellar clouds filled with gas and dust, where these molecules may be present.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a previous infrared telescope, is optimized for high-resolution imaging of smaller, specific areas and has only captured 1 percent of the sky so far.

SPHEREx is also expected to contribute to one of the biggest unanswered questions in astrophysics: how the universe evolved after the Big Bang.

The Big Bang Theory suggests that 13.7 billion years ago, the universe expanded by a factor of one trillion in just one second, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.

SPHEREx will break down light from billions of celestial objects into individual wavelengths, determining their composition and distance from Earth. This data will enable researchers to create a detailed distribution map of galaxies, providing new insights into the origins of the universe itself.

The SPHEREx project involved 12 research institutes.

South Korea’s KASI was the only international partner, having participated in the project since its planning phase in 2016.

KASI contributed approximately 15 billion won (approximately $10.35 million), which is 5 percent of the total budget.

The near-infrared spectroscopic observation technology incorporated into SPHEREx is based on KASI’s independently developed Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Star formation history (NISS), which allows scientists to measure changes in brightness across different wavelengths for individual celestial objects.

Moving forward, South Korean researchers will have equal access to observational data alongside NASA scientists, allowing them to contribute to major discoveries about the formation and evolution of the universe.

“If SPHEREx successfully completes its mission, it will produce the first infrared three-dimensional map of the universe, potentially uncovering crucial clues about cosmic evolution,” said Jeong Woong-seob, the principal investigator from KASI. “This will also open new opportunities for South Korean scientists to conduct in-depth studies on various celestial phenomena.”

BY MOON SANG-HYEOK,SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]