NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions Set for Launch Tonight

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. — NASA is set to launch its SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) missions tonight at 11:10 p.m. EDT (8:10 p.m. PDT) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The rocket will lift off from Launch Complex 4 East at this California facility, with weather officials reporting a 20% chance of favorable conditions. The primary concern remains thick cloud coverage, which could affect visibility during the launch.

The SPHEREx mission aims to conduct an all-sky spectral survey, creating a detailed 3D map of the universe in 102 infrared wavelengths. Over a planned two-year mission, it will analyze more than 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in the Milky Way to enhance our understanding of the universe’s origins.

The PUNCH mission will focus on the solar wind, studying its origins and documenting the solar outflow. PUNCH will capture continuous 3D images of the Sun’s corona, deepening understanding of the solar wind’s journey through the solar system and its potential impacts on Earth’s technology.

The SPHEREx mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, part of the agency’s Astrophysics Division. The telescope was built by BAE Systems, with data processing taking place at Caltech in Pasadena.

Meanwhile, Southwest Research Institute, based in San Antonio, Texas, leads the PUNCH mission from Boulder, Colorado, where the four spacecraft will be operated. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida oversees the launch.

As the countdown proceeds, NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 10:15 p.m. EDT, available on various platforms including their website and social media.

As the clock ticks down to the launch, here are some key milestones to watch:

00:38:00 – SpaceX launch director verifies that propellant loading is go.

00:35:00 – RP-1 rocket-grade kerosene loading begins.

00:16:00 – Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.

00:00:03 – Engine ignition sequence starts.

00:00:00 – Falcon 9 is slated to liftoff.

Expect more updates as the launch approaches.