SpaceX is planning to launch the Falcon 9 carrying NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory and PUNCH satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 8, 2025. The launch is targeted for 7:10 p.m. PT (Pacific Time). SpaceX says that if necessary, a backup opportunity is available the next day, Sunday, March 9, at the same time.
Targeting Saturday, March 8 at 7:10 p.m. PT for Falcon 9’s launch of @NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory and PUNCH satellites → https://t.co/K7OzNqWvLN
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 7, 2025
SpaceX has announced that a live webcast of this mission will begin about one hour before liftoff, which you can watch on SpaceX’s website and on X (@SpaceX). It will also be available on the new X TV app.
This mission is the third flight of the first-stage booster, which previously launched NROL-126 and Transporter-12. After stage separation, the first stage will land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
They also mentioned that sonic booms might be heard during the launch, though this depends on weather and other conditions.
During its two-year mission, the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) Observatory will collect data on over 450 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars in our Milky Way. In simpler terms, SPHEREx is a NASA space telescope that will create a 3D map of the entire sky. It will gather data on over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars in our galaxy to help us understand how the universe began, how galaxies formed, and where essential elements for life, like water, came from.
SpaceX and NASA have a big vision, and the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites will study the Sun and its environment to better understand how solar winds impact our solar system. To put it simply, PUNCH is a group of four small satellites that will study the Sun’s corona and solar wind. This launch was originally scheduled for late February 2025, but it was delayed to March 8 due to rocket preparations.
Yesterday, on March 7, NASA and SpaceX confirmed everything is ready. SPHEREx will use near-infrared light (0.75 to 5.0 micrometers) and operate in 102 colors. Its design is simple with no moving parts, and it will collect data for two years. That data will be freely available to everyone. Meanwhile, NASA will broadcast the launch live tonight starting at 9:15 PM EST on NASA+ and YouTube. If this mission succeeds, we’ll gain a ton of new knowledge about the universe.