The core technology of SPHEREx is imaging spectroscopy that simultaneously conducts imaging observations of wide areas and spectroscopic observations to gauge changes in brightness according to the wavelengths of individual celestial bodies. (California Institute of Technology)

By Charles Audouin

NASA of the U.S. will send into space late this month its latest telescope developed with Korean technology.

The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), a space telescope jointly developed by 12 organizations including the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), will be launched into space on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Northern California, the Korea AeroSpace Administration said.

 
SPHEREx can see infrared light, which is difficult to observe from the ground, take photos of the entire sky in 102 infrared wavelengths and gather data on about a billion celestial objects.

The device's mission will end after 2 1/2 years and is expected to help complete the first infrared 3D map of the universe.

Using the telescope, researchers plan to confirm the distribution of water and carbon dioxide in ice form in the Milky Way galaxy, detect environments suitable for life and learn why the universe rapidly expanded right after the Big Bang. The mission also includes the study of galaxy formation and evolution by measuring the total volume of galactic light.

Since 2016, KASI has been part of the planning stage of SPHEREx, developing equipment for studying the telescope's performance and software for analyzing observation data.

Nickey Fox, associate administrator of the NASA Science Mission Directorate, said observing the entire universe in up to 102 colors would be groundbreaking and a world first.

After being launched into space, the space telescope SPHEREx will observe the universe for 2 1/2 years from an altitude of 650 km above Earth's surface. Shown is a virtual map of the infrared 3D universe and the celestial bodies as seen through SPHEREx's observations. (KASA)