NASA's SPHEREx and PUNCH missions postponed again: Here's why
What's the story
NASA and SpaceX's planned launch of the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) missions has been delayed again. The postponement was attributed to unfavorable weather at the launch site and a ground data-flow issue. This is the second consecutive day that NASA has had to scrub this launch.
Next attempt
New launch attempt scheduled for March 11
The next launch attempt for the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions is set for March 11. The lift-off is targeted at 11:10pm EDT, which translates to March 12, at 8:40am IST. However, weather on the day remains uncertain with a 40% probability of violation due to thick cloud cover. NASA's SPHEREx and PUNCH missions will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
Mission goals
Objectives of SPHEREx and PUNCH missions
The SPHEREx mission has three main goals: to create a 3D map of hundreds of millions of galaxies to study inflation; measure the total collective glow of galaxies near and far; and search the Milky Way galaxy for hidden reservoirs of water, carbon dioxide, and other essential ingredients for life. Meanwhile, the PUNCH mission seeks to determine the physical processes at different scales that unify the solar corona with the rest of the solar system environment.