In 2023, NASA will have new eyes in space – SPHEREx, an observatory that will help solve some of the greatest mysteries of modern science.

This space observatory is called Spectro-Photometer for Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx). The tool will serve to search for answers to two key questions: how did the evolution of the Universe take place and how widespread are some of the “building blocks” in our Galaxy that make up biological molecules.

I’m really very happy that we chose to launch this mission.

It will not only add to the powerful fleet of US spacecraft designed to explore the Universe — this mission is also an important component of a balanced space program that includes missions of various sizes.

-NASA administrator Jim Brydenstein in a statement

The SPHEREx tool will be able to collect light in the optical and near-IR ranges coming from a huge number of sources: more than 100 million stars in our Milky Way galaxy and more than 300 million other galaxies. The observatory will help in solving two different, but equally fundamental tasks in these two different scientific fields.

In general, the SPHEREx space observatory will scan the entire sky and collect scientific data at 96 different wavelengths of light. In our Milky Way galaxy, the SPHEREx Observatory will map the distribution of water and organic molecules – the fundamental ingredients of life in the forms in which we know it. Outside of our galaxy, this tool will observe the first moments of the development of our Universe. Scientists will be able to use the data obtained using this mission to select the scientific goals of future space telescopes, such as James Webb and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WISE).

The SPHEREx spacecraft is scheduled to be sent to space in 2023. The planned duration of the mission is two years with a budget of 242 million USD, not including the launch cost.

NASA launches new space telescope SPHEREx in 2023
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