Scientists involved with two NASA missions set to ride a SpaceX rocket into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base will have wait at least two more days.
On Friday night, NASA officials announced the team would aim for the mission’s departure Tuesday at the earliest, with the launch window opening at 7:09 p.m.
“The teams need additional time to evaluate launch vehicle hardware data,” NASA representatives said.
This was the third delay for the rocket set to lift off from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base.
The mission reportedly will include the first-stage booster’s return to the launch site, likely causing sonic booms that may be heard by residents of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties. The first-stage booster’s landing typically occurs seven to eight minutes after blastoff.
The primary payload aboard the rocket will be a space telescope for the mission known as SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer).
SPHEREx will share a ride with another NASA mission dubbed PUNCH — Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere.
“This is basically two for the price of one,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
Specifically, SPHEREx will capture a panoramic view of the universe with the full sky map looking for ice, water and other ingredients of life.
The team at Pasadena-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory did “a fantastic job” managing the various aspects of the SPHEREx mission to get the space telescope to the launch pad, Domagal-Goldman said.
But the final weeks proved especially challenging as fires ravaged Southern California in early January.
“They also did it the last two months under tremendous personal stress from the wildfires in California, both at the team and at the individual level. I’m deeply thankful to all of them,” Domagal-Goldman said.
PUNCH, catching a ride with its astrophysics cousin, will help scientists learn more about the sun.
“PUNCH fills in that science puzzle between the sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, and the Earth,” said Joe Westlake, Heliophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters.
The satellite will provide more information about what’s occurring between the sun and Earth, focusing on solar wind or charged particles that can affect communication and power equipment.
“I’m really excited, and I just can’t wait to see what’s going to come from SPHEREx and PUNCH,” Westlake said.
The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday and stream live at NASA+ and NASA’s YouTube channel.
