NASA is preparing to send a new space mission into orbit called SPHEREx, which aims to uncover secrets about the early days of our universe. The spacecraft will study how galaxies formed and what happened right after the Big Bang.
SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, will scan the entire sky using infrared light. By collecting data from more than 300 million galaxies and over 100 million stars in our own Milky Way, the mission hopes to answer big questions about the universe's birth and expansion.
One of the key goals is to learn more about cosmic inflation, a period of rapid growth just after the Big Bang. The mission will also investigate water and other important molecules in regions where new stars and planets are forming, which could help scientists understand how life-supporting environments develop.
SPHEREx is expected to launch in 2025 and will orbit Earth, gathering data for at least two years. This mission will build on previous space research and is a major step forward in our quest to understand the universe's beginnings.