A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set for launch Monday night from the California coast will carry a space telescope and satellites designed to answer some cosmic questions, including what happened in the moments after .
The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer mission — or SPHEREx mission — is expected to last about two years in an effort to collect data on more than 450 million galaxies and 100 million stars, helping scientists better understand the origins of the universe. The space telescope, considered a cosmic mapmaker, will observe the celestial sky four times in two years to create a 3D map of those the galaxies.
The result could be a cosmic history lesson and better understanding of what a happened a fraction of a second after the big bang.
The rocket also will usher into space four Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) satellites to observe the Sun and unlock mysteries about the effects of solar winds. The small satellites will map the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, transition to solar wind and materials constantly being ejected into space.
The launch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. Monday at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. A backup launch window opens at the same time Tuesday, if needed.
The Falcon 9’s first stage will return to a landing zone at the base.
The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun’s rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.
Sunset is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. Monday in Los Angeles.
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