NASA Launches SPHEREx Telescope to Map Universe's Origins

The $488 million mission aims to create a 3D infrared map of the cosmos, searching for water and uncovering insights into the Big Bang.

SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, will map the entire sky in 102 infrared wavelengths over two years.
The telescope will investigate the universe's origins, including the moments following the Big Bang, by studying the distribution of matter and the physics of cosmic inflation.
SPHEREx will examine more than 550 million galaxies and stars, searching for water and organic molecules in molecular clouds where planets and stars form.
The mission will complement telescopes like Hubble and James Webb by identifying broad areas of interest for detailed follow-up studies.
The spacecraft, launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, operates with a passive cooling system to detect faint cosmic light while avoiding interference from its own heat.