JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Stars and Galaxies
.

NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for SPHEREx Astrophysics Mission

Feb. 4, 2021

This illustration shows the preliminary design for NASA’s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), which will map the entire sky in near-infrared light. The mission could launch as early as 2024.

Credit: Caltech

The mission, which will create a unique map of the entire sky, will catch a ride to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission. SPHEREx is a planned two-year astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies.

It also will search for water and organic molecules – essentials for life as we know it – in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.

The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

The SPHEREx mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

NASA’s Launch Services Program at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the SpaceX launch service. The mission, which is funded by the Astrophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, is led by the Explorer’s Program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is responsible for the mission’s overall project management, systems engineering, integration, and testing and mission operations.

For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

News Media Contact

Joshua Finch

NASA Headquarters, Washington

202-358-1100

joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Patti Bielling

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

321-867-9284

patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov

Calla Cofield

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

626-808-2469

calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov

2021-022

Related News

JPL Life .

Free Tickets to ‘Explore JPL’ Available Online Soon

JPL Life .

L.A. Youth Robotics Competition Leaves Student Teams Energized

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA’s Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova

JPL Life .

Pi Day Challenge: Solve Stellar Math Problems With NASA

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas, Dust in Nearby Galaxies

JPL Life .

University High Reclaims Victory at JPL-Hosted Science Bowl

JPL Life .

NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA Gets Unusually Close Glimpse of Black Hole Snacking on Star

JPL Life .

Practice Makes Perfect for Student Inventions at JPL Competition

JPL Life .

NASA Press Events at 2022 Fall AGU Meeting

Explore More

Video .

What's Up - April 2023

Slice of History

Image .

Slice of History - Records & Information Management Month

Von Kármán Lecture .

The von Kármán Lecture Series: 2023

Lecture Series .

April 2023 - Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) Mission

Mission .

ASTHROS

Lecture Series .

March 2023 - To Boldly Go Where No Robots Have Gone Before: Solar System Exploration with Autonomous Robots at JPL

Universe Newsletter

Video .

What's Up - March 2023

About JPL .

Who We Are

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018