| NASA's 'SPHEREx' space observatory, which is due to be launched into a polar orbit next month, will conduct four sky surveys over the course of around two years. The surveys will map galaxies and Milky Way stars in unprecedented spectral detail, hopefully revealing more about what exactly happened during the first split-second of the universe, when the Big Bang was followed by rapid inflation. It will also look for spectral signs of water, carbon dioxide, and other key ingredients for life in the Milky Way. Image: BAE Systems. |
