NASA's [1]SPHEREx observatory (short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) is [2]set to launch this week to map 450 million galaxies in infrared , providing insights into galaxy formation, the origins of water, and testing theories about the universe's rapid expansion following the Big Bang. The two-year mission will repeatedly survey the entire sky and help scientists understand fundamental cosmic processes. NBC News reports:

> The launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled to occur Friday, during a window that opens at 10:09 p.m. ET. Liftoff was initially planned for Feb. 27, but NASA rescheduled it several times, first to "complete vehicle processing and prelaunch checkouts," and because of availability at the California launch site.

>

> The cone-shaped spacecraft -- along with four suitcase-sized satellites that NASA will deploy at the same time on a separate mission to study the sun -- will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The $488 million SPHEREx mission, which has been in development for [3]about a decade , is designed to map the celestial sky in 102 infrared colors -- more than any other mission before it, according to NASA.



[1] https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex/

[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-spherex-space-observatory-launch-map-galaxies-universe-rcna190877

[3] https://science.slashdot.org/story/19/02/15/1640246/nasas-spherex-mission-will-investigate-the-origins-of-the-universe