NASA Delays Launch Of SPHEREx And PUNCH Wahana Until March 4
JAKARTA The SPHEREx and PUNCH missions were canceled on Thursday, February 27. After the launch window was missed, NASA said the two missions would be postponed until March 4.
This delay occurred due to unfinished preparations, according to the US space agency's statement. The technicians need additional time to evaluate the data from the SPHEREx and PUNCH hardware to be launched.
The launch window will reopen at 22:09 p.m. local time. Although the schedule has changed, these two spacecraft will still be launched from the Space Launch Complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The press conference, pre-launch will be postponed to March 3 at around 3.30 local time. This meeting will be broadcast live on the NASA+ website. The space agency will also broadcast the launch of the mission live.
Science enthusiasts can watch the launch of SPHEREx and PUNCH via NASA+ or SpaceX's official account on X. Live broadcasts on NASA+ will open about 54 minutes before launch.
SEE ALSO:
The SPHEREx, abbreviation of the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, the Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, is a telescope launched to study how the universe evolves over time.
This telescope will look for the main ingredients of life on various planets in outer space, especially the Milky Way Galaxy. The SPHEREx will monitor planets with ice, water, or other life-supporting compounds.
Meanwhile, the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) is an instrument with different tasks. This spacecraft was launched overseas to observe the corona and study the solar wind of the Sun.