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NASA’s PUNCH Mission Captures First Images of Sun, Space

2 weeks ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Abbey Interrante

NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission successfully completed spacecraft commissioning this week, opening its instrument doors to capture “first light”, the mission’s first images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere and the surrounding space. This is the first step in revealing new details of how the solar atmosphere unfolds and streams through the solar system. Now, mission operation teams will continue the commissioning phase for the spacecraft’s instruments.
NASA’s PUNCH Begins Mission to Study Solar Wind

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Abbey Interrante

Mission controllers for NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) have received full acquisition of signal from the four small satellites, indicating that they are functioning normally and at full power. Over a two-year planned mission, PUNCH will make global, 3D observations of the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, and how it becomes the solar wind.
Signal Acquired: NASA’s SPHEREx Begins Science Mission

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) mission controllers on Earth have received full acquisition of signal from the observatory, indicating the spacecraft is functioning nominally and is power positive.
NASA’s PUNCH Satellites Deployed

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

Deployment of the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission’s four satellites has occurred. Following a 90-day commissioning period, the PUNCH mission is scheduled to conduct science for at least two years.
SPHEREx Observatory Separates From Rocket

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, on its way to begin its science mission from a sun-synchronous orbit about 404 miles (650 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. In about 10 minutes, deployment of the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission’s four satellites will begin.
First Stage Sticks the Landing, Second Stage Engine Cuts Off

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

After launching NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites, a first stage booster lands at Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Landing Zone 4 in California. Photo credit: NASA+The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage has successfully landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Landing Zone 4 in California.
Launch Vehicle Reaches Max Q, Booster Engines Cutoff

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s nine Merlin engines have finished their burn, and the first stage has separated from the rocket. As the second stage continues carrying SPHEREx and PUNCH to orbit, the rocket’s first stage will attempt a controlled landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Landing Zone 4.
Liftoff of SPHEREx, PUNCH Missions!

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

Ignition, and liftoff! At 11:10 p.m. EDT (8:10 p.m. PDT), SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 4 East, carrying NASA’s 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. Stay here on the blog as we take you through some key flight milestones, coming up in the next couple of minutes.
SPHEREx, PUNCH Missions ‘Go’ for Launch

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

NASA Launch Manager Dr. Denton Gibson has just given the final “go” for launch of NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites!The spacecraft is on internal power and configured for launch.
NASA’s SPHEREx: By the Numbers

1 month ago | blogs.nasa.gov | Jason Costa

With launch just under 10 minutes away, let’s take a closer look at some important numbers for NASA’s newest space observatory, SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer), which will help answer big questions about the early universe, the history of galaxies, and the life-sustaining molecules in planet-forming regions of the Milky Way.