NASA successfully launched two major space missions together on a single rocket!

The first is SPHEREx, a space telescope designed to search for essential life-forming elements in the Milky Way.

While, the second is PUNCH, a mission focused on studying the Sun.

Both missions were successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, March 11, at 11:10 pm ET (8:10 pm PT) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, as per CNN.

The launch window originally opened on February 28 but was delayed multiple times due to weather conditions and technical issues.

But if you are thinking, why were both missions launched together, even though the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions have different objectives?

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Dr Nicky Fox, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate associate administrator, explained that this approach allows more science to be conducted in space at a lower cost.

Additionally, both missions are also heading to the same type of orbit, called a sun-synchronous orbit which keeps each spacecraft’s position fixed relative to the Sun throughout the year.

NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions set to unlock space secrets:

SPHEREx:

SPHEREx is a space telescope designed to study the history and evolution of the universe.

It aims to explore how galaxies formed, how the early universe changed and investigate how essential elements for life such as water and organic molecules, formed in space.

After its launch, SPHEREx will orbit Earth at a height of 404 miles (650 km) for a little over two years.

During this time, it will gather data on more than 450 million galaxies and survey over 100 million stars in our Milky Way.

PUNCH:

PUNCH is a space mission designed to explore how the sun impacts the solar system.

It will observe the sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona and study solar wind which consists of energized particles constantly flowing from the sun.

PUNCH consists of four small spacecraft, each about the size of a suitcase that will orbit Earth for two years.

Both missions are expected to uncover new and previously unknown details about our solar system and galaxy that have never been observed before.

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