NASA’s 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 were launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 20:10 LT (03:10 UTC on March 12) on March 11.
Mission controllers have received full acquisition of signal from all instruments, indicating that they are functioning normally and at full power.
“This new perspective will allow scientists to discern the exact trajectory and speed of coronal mass ejections as they move through the inner solar system,” Craig DeForest, principal investigator for PUNCH at Southwest Research Institute’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado, said.
“This improves on current instruments in two ways: with three-dimensional imaging that lets us locate and track CMEs which are coming directly toward us; and with a broad field of view, which lets us track those CMEs all the way from the Sun to Earth.”
NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, aims to create an all-sky infrared map to help scientists study the early universe, search for water and organic molecules in interstellar space, and improve understanding of galaxy formation. SPHEREx will separate light from stars and galaxies into 102 spectral bands using spectroscopy, allowing researchers to analyze cosmic structures and interstellar ices that may play a role in planet formation.
The mission will analyze over 450 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way, helping scientists investigate the physics of cosmic inflation, the rapid expansion of the universe after the Big Bang. It will also provide a deeper understanding of interstellar chemistry by mapping water and organic molecules in our galaxy.
The PUNCH mission consists of four identical suitcase-sized satellites positioned in a Sun-synchronous orbit around Earth, designed to track the solar wind, the continuous outflow of charged particles from the Sun, and how it evolves as it moves into the solar system.
The mission will provide continuous, global, 3D observations of the Sun’s corona and its transition into the solar wind.
The spacecraft will work as a single “virtual instrument,” using specialized polarimetric imaging techniques to observe faint solar wind structures that were previously difficult to detect.
Each satellite is equipped with either a Narrow Field Imager (NFI) or a Wide Field Imager (WFI). The NFI functions as a coronagraph, blocking the Sun’s direct light to capture detailed images of its outer atmosphere, similar to what is seen during a total solar eclipse. The WFIs, on the other hand, are heliospheric imagers designed to capture the very faint outermost corona and the solar wind itself, providing a much wider view of solar activity.
PUNCH aims to answer important questions about the transition of the Sun’s corona into the solar wind, a process that directly impacts space weather conditions on Earth. The data from this mission will contribute to understanding how solar storms, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), propagate through space and how they might affect Earth’s magnetosphere, satellites, and power grids.
The mission will provide a complete picture of the solar wind, from its origin to its journey across the solar system, when combined with data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which takes in-situ measurements by flying through the Sun’s corona.
It will work in conjunction with the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission, which is set to be launched later in 2025, to further investigate the boundary between the solar wind and interstellar space.
The payload, encapsulated within a 13 m (43 foot) Falcon 9 fairing, was transported to the SpaceX launch facility for integration ahead of liftoff. Final system tests confirmed that all spacecraft and instruments were fully operational before launch. SPHEREx and PUNCH separated from the Falcon 9’s second stage approximately 52 minutes after liftoff.
The SPHEREx spacecraft measures 2.6 m (8.5 feet) in height and 3.2 m (10.5 feet) in width. Its solar panel generates around 750 watts of power. The four PUNCH satellites, each measuring 1 x 2 x 3 m (3.3 x 6.6 x 9.8 feet) and weighing approximately 63.5 kg (140 pounds), were deployed into a Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit to enable continuous solar observation with minimal interference.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center managed the launch under the agency’s Launch Services Program, with mission development led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for SPHEREx and the Southwest Research Institute for PUNCH. Both missions are part of NASA’s Explorers Program, designed for low-cost, high-impact scientific research.
SPHEREx will begin science operations after a commissioning phase, conducting a complete all-sky survey every six months over its planned two-year mission. The mission’s spectral data will contribute to understanding the large-scale structure of the universe, the composition of galaxies, and the building blocks of planetary systems.
PUNCH, after its 90-day commissioning period, will start full-scale scientific operations, capturing images of the Sun’s corona and solar wind in real time. Its advanced imaging capabilities are expected to improve predictions of space weather events, benefiting spacecraft operations, astronaut safety, and Earth-based technologies.
“PUNCH is the latest heliophysics addition to the NASA fleet that delivers groundbreaking science every second of every day,” said Joe Westlake, heliophysics division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“Launching this mission as a rideshare bolsters its value to the nation by optimizing every pound of launch capacity to maximize the scientific return for the cost of a single launch.”
References:
1 Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere – PUNCH – Accessed on March 8, 2025
2 PUNCH – NASA – Accessed on March 8, 2025
3 SPHEREX and PUNCH begin science missions – NASA – March 11, 2025
4 NASA Launches Missions to Study Sun, Universe’s Beginning – NASA – March 12, 2025
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.