SpaceX launched NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions with a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

SpaceX launched NASA’s SPHEREx Observatory and PUNCH satellites using its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 11, 2025, at 8:10 PM PDT.

SPHEREx, a space telescope, will create a 3D map of over 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars, study the universe’s early inflation period, and search for water and organic molecules, scanning the entire sky every six months for two years in near-infrared light.

PUNCH, a group of four small satellites, will investigate the Sun’s corona and solar wind, track coronal mass ejections, and produce 3D images to better understand space weather.

The Falcon 9 carried both missions in a rideshare launch, with SPHEREx separating after 42 minutes and the PUNCH satellites deploying at 52-53 minutes. These missions will provide new insights into the universe’s origins and the Sun’s impact on space weather, marking a significant step for science and technology.