NASA Picks SpaceX for SPHEREx Launch in 2024

NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract to launch the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission.  This astrophysics mission is the latest in a series of awards to SpaceX for launching science missions on a Falcon 9.

An artist’s depiction of the SPHEREx mission at work. Feb. 4, NASA announced that SpaceX will be launching the astrophysics mission, which is set to last for two years. (Image Credit: © Caltech)

SPHEREx is a space observatory which will spend two years scanning the skies in near-infrared light, and will provide a full survey every six months. Data from the mission is expected to net unique signatures of more than 300 million galaxies across the universe and the 100 million stars inside our Milky Way, creating a sky map.

The SPHEREx mission  is predicted for the June 2024 timeframe and is expected to launch from Vandenberg AFB.

RESOURCE: SPACE.com