- Successfully Communicated After Launch on March 12 with SpaceX Falcon 9 -
Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), led by Administrator Yoon Youngbin, announced that the SPHEREx space telescope, jointly developed by Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and others, was successfully launched at 12:10 PM on March 12th (20:10 local time on March 11th) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
*SPHEREx: Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer
The SPHEREx was launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and separated from the rocket at around 12:52 PM, reaching a solar-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 650 km. By 1:30 PM, communication was successfully established with NASA's Near Space Network at the Svalbard Ground Station in Norway.
SPHEREx will enter its initial operations phase for about 37 days after the launch, during which all telescope tests, including calibration, will be performed. The telescope's attitude will be precisely controlled, and its operational temperature will be maintained below -210°C through its self-cooling system. The telescope will also undergo testing of its optical and spectral performance. During this period, the first light observations will also be conducted.
After completing the initial operational phase, SPHEREx will perform its observational mission for approximately 25 months. It will orbit the Earth in a 98-minute cycle, completing 14.5 orbits per day and taking over 600 pictures of the universe. The mission's operation and management will be overseen by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with communication taking place through ground stations located near the polar regions, including Troll (Antarctica), Fairbanks (Alaska), Punta Arenas (Chile), and Svalbard (Norway).
Dr. Jung Woong-seop, the senior researcher from KASI, stated, "If SPHEREx successfully completes its mission, it will provide crucial insights into the creation and evolution of the universe through the infrared 3D space map and all-sky spectral catalog, enabling astronomers worldwide, including those in Korea, to conduct studies of various celestial bodies."
Yoon Youngbin, Administrator of KASA, emphasized, "The successful launch of the SPHEREx space telescope marks a significant step forward in the exploration of early light in the universe and the formation of galaxies, which are key challenges for humanity. This achievement demonstrates that Korea's standing in the field of space science has been significantly elevated."