SPHEREx

NASA near-infrared space observatory

SPHEREx

SPHEREx on a work stand, being prepared for launch

Names| Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer
Mission type| Astrophysics
Operator| NASA
COSPAR ID| 2025-047E
SATCAT no.| 63182
Website| spherex.caltech.edu
Mission duration| Planned: 25 months
Elapsed: 5 months
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer| BAE Systems Inc. (Previously Ball Aerospace & Technologies)
Launch mass| 178 kg (392 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date| 12 March 2025, 03:10:00 UTC (11 March 2025, 8:10 pm PDT)[2][3]
Rocket| Falcon 9 Block 5
Launch site| Vandenberg, SLC-4E
Contractor| SpaceX
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Geocentric orbit
Regime| Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit
Altitude| 700 km (430 mi)
Inclination| 97°
Period| 90 minutes
Main telescope
Diameter| 20 cm (7.9 in)
Wavelengths| Near-infrared
Transponders
Band| S-band, Ka-band
Instruments
Spectrophotometer

Explorers Program

<- IXPE (Explorer 97)

TRACERS ->

SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer)[4] is a near-infrared space observatory that will perform an all-sky survey to measure the near-infrared spectra of approximately 450 million galaxies. In February 2019, SPHEREx was selected by NASA for its next Medium-Class Explorers mission, beating out two competing mission concepts: Arcus and FINESSE.[5][6] SPHEREx launched on 12 March 2025 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket alongside the PUNCH microsatellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base.[2][3] The principal investigator is James Bock at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California.

## Overview

[edit]

Artist's impression of SPHEREx in space

### Mission

[edit]

SPHEREx will use a spectrophotometer to perform an all-sky survey that will measure near-infrared spectra from 0.75 to 5.0 micrometers. It will employ a single instrument with a single observing mode and no moving parts to map the entire sky (in 96 different color bands, far exceeding the color resolution of previous all-sky maps[5]) four times during its nominal 25-month mission; the crucial technology is a linear variable filter,[7] as demonstrated by LEISA on New Horizons.[8]

It will classify galaxies according to redshift accuracy, categorizing approximately 450 million galaxies and fitting measured spectra to a library of galaxy templates. Specifically, SPHEREx will probe signals from the intra-halo light and from the epoch of reionization.[7] It would explore what drove the early universe inflation, explore the origin and history of galaxies, and explore the origin of water in planetary systems.[7][9][10]

SPHEREx will complement the Euclid and planned Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope spectroscopic surveys. High precision redshift information of foreground galaxies provided by SPHEREx in correspondence with weak gravitational lensing measurements of background galaxies from Euclid and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will allow direct measurement of the dark matter distribution surrounding the foreground galaxies.[11] The SPHEREx low redshift survey allows its measurement of inflationary parameters to be mostly independent, thus providing a new line of evidence.[10][7]

### Spacecraft/telescope

[edit]

SPHEREx outer photon shield SPHEREx telescope and detectors

The triple mirror telescope has an aperture diameter of 20 centimeters with a 3.5° × 11° field of view and six 2K × 2K mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) photodetector arrays.[12][8] Each 2K × 2K focal-plane array is covered with a linear variable filter, providing narrow-band response with a band center that varies along one axis of the array. SPHEREx obtains spectra through multiple exposures, placing a given source at multiple positions in the field of view, where it is measured at multiple wavelengths by repointing the spacecraft.[8]

The SPHEREx spacecraft and telescope were provided by BAE Systems Inc. Space & Mission Systems division (previously Ball Aerospace & Technologies) while the payload was developed by Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute supplied a non-flight cryogenic test chamber.[13][14][15]

## History

[edit]

SPHEREx-PUNCH Encapsulation

The SPHEREx proposal was submitted to NASA on 19 December 2014, and it was selected for further conceptual development (Phase A) on 30 July 2015 for the Small Explorer program (SMEX).[16][17] The detailed concept study report was submitted to NASA on 19 July 2016, but it was not selected for SMEX. An enhanced version of SPHEREx was submitted on 15 December 2016 as a Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX), and it was selected as a finalist in August 2017, along two other competing missions: Arcus, and Fast Infrared Exoplanet Spectroscopy Survey Explorer (FINESSE).[6] Each team received US$2 million to refine their mission concepts over nine-months.[6]

SPHEREx was selected as the winner in February 2019, and the mission was approved to proceed with construction and launch.[5] Medium-Class Explorer mission costs are capped at US$250 million, not including the launch vehicle.[6] As of April 2020, the preliminary total cost of the mission is approximately US$395 million to US$427 million.[18] The 2020 estimates include the costs of the launch vehicle and NASA reserves that are not part of the cost cap.

First images by SPHEREx

On 7 January 2021, NASA announced that the mission has entered Phase C, which means that the early design plans have been approved and teams can begin the final design and assemble hardware and software; and that launch is expected between June 2024 and April 2025.[19] On 4 February 2021, NASA announced they had selected the SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch the spacecraft, and total cost of the launch would be US$98.8 million.[20] In August 2022 NASA announced that the 4 microsatellites of the PUNCH constellation would be launched as rideshare payloads together with SPHEREx.[21] The mission launched on 12 March 2025.[2] First light was on April 2025.[22] Regular science operation started on 1 May 2025.[23]

## References

[edit]

* Spaceflight portal

1. ^ Clark, Stephen (14 February 2019). "NASA selects mission to probe the history of galaxies". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
2. ^ a b c "Nasa's new Spherex telescope lifts off to map cosmos in unprecedented detail". The Guardian. Associated Press. 12 March 2025.
3. ^ a b Costa, Jason (10 March 2025). "NASA's SPHEREx, PUNCH Launch Scrubs Due to Weather, Data-Flow Issue". NASA Blogs. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
4. ^ "SPHEREx". NASA. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
5. ^ a b c Cofield, Calla; Cole, Steve (13 February 2019). "NASA Selects New Mission to Explore Origins of Universe". NASA. Retrieved 13 February 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
6. ^ a b c d Katherine Brown (9 August 2017). "NASA Selects Proposals to Study Galaxies, Stars, Planets". NASA. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
7. ^ a b c d "SPHEREx Science". Caltech. 2018. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
8. ^ a b c "SPHEREx instrument". Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
9. ^ Missions to probe exoplanets, galaxies, and cosmic inflation vie for US$250 million NASA slot Daniel Clery, Science Magazine, 16 August 2017
10. ^ a b Nowakowski, Tomasz (28 August 2017). "Proposed Astrophysics Mission to Conduct the First Infrared Spectral Survey of the Entire Sky" (PDF). PHYS.ORG - Astronomy. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018.
11. ^ Doré, Olivier; Bock, Jamie; Ashby, Matthew; Capak, Peter; Cooray, Asantha; de Putter, Roland; Eifler, Tim; Flagey, Nicolas; Gong, Yan; Habib, Salman; Heitmann, Katrin (25 March 2015). "Cosmology with the SPHEREX All-Sky Spectral Survey". arXiv:1412.4872 [astro-ph.CO].
12. ^ "SPHEREx Official Website". spherex.caltech.edu. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
13. ^ "SpaceX wins $98 million NASA SPHEREx launch contract". 8 February 2021.
14. ^ "Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer". JPL. NASA. Retrieved 7 July 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
15. ^ "Ball Aerospace Supports Critical Design Review of NASA's SPH".
16. ^ SPHEREx News Archived 7 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine SPHEREx, Caltech  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
17. ^ Karen Northon (30 July 2015). "NASA Selects Proposals to Study Neutron Stars, Black Holes and More". NASA. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
18. ^ "GAO-20-405, NASA: Assessments of Major Projects" (PDF). Government Accountability Office (GAO). 29 April 2020. p. 45. Retrieved 30 April 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
19. ^ "New NASA space telescope will explore the Big Bang". CNN. 7 January 2021.
20. ^ Potter, Sean (4 February 2021). "NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for SPHEREx Astrophysics Mission". NASA. Retrieved 4 February 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
21. ^ Interrante, Abbey (3 August 2022). "PUNCH Announces Rideshare with SPHEREx and New Launch Date". NASA. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
22. ^ "NASA's SPHEREx Takes First Images, Preps to Study Millions of Galaxies - NASA". 1 April 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
23. ^ "NASA's SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). 1 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to SPHEREx.

* Exoplanet Science with SPHEREx’s All-Sky Spectro-photometric Survey in the Near-Infrared (PDF)

* v
* t
* e

Explorers Program

List of Explorers Program missions

Missions|

| 1958–1992|

* Explorer 1
* 2†
* 3
* 4
* 5†
* S-1†
* 6 (S-2)
* 7 (S-1A)
* S-46A†
* 8
* S-56†
* 9 (S-56A)
* S-45†
* 10
* 11 (S-15)
* S-45A†
* S-55†
* 12 (EPE-A)
* 13 (S-55A)
* 14 (EPE-B)
* 15 (EPE-C)
* 16 (S-55B)
* 17 (AE-A)
* 18 (IMP-A)
* 19 (AD-A)
* S-66A (BE-A)†
* 20 (IE-A)
* 21 (IMP-B)
* 22 (BE-B)
* 23 (S-55C)
* 24 (AD-B)
* 25 (Injun 4, IE-B)
* 26 (EPE-D)
* 27 (BE-C)
* 28 (IMP-C)
* 29 (GEOS-A)
* 30 (Solrad 8)
* 31 (DME-A)
* 32 (AE-B)
* 33 (IMP-D)
* 34 (IMP-F)
* 35 (IMP-E)
* 36 (GEOS-B)
* 37 (Solrad 9)
* 38 (RAE-A)
* 39 (AD-C)
* 40 (Injun 5)
* 41 (IMP-G)
* 42 (Uhuru, SAS-A)
* 43 (IMP-I)
* 44 (Solrad 10)
* 45 (SSS-A)
* 46 (MTS)
* 47 (IMP-H)
* 48 (SAS-B)
* 49 (RAE-B)
* 50 (IMP-J)
* 51 (AE-C)
* 52 (Hawkeye 1)
* 53 (SAS-C)
* 54 (AE-D)
* 55 (AE-E)
* DADE-A†
* DADE-B†
* 56 (ISEE-1)
* 57 (IUE)
* 58 (HCMM)
* 59 (ICE)
* 60 (SAGE)
* 61 (Magsat)
* 62 (DE-1)
* 63 (DE-2)
* 64 (SME)
* 65 (CCE)
* 66 (COBE)
* 67 (EUVE)

|

Medium class
(since 1992)|

* 69 (RXTE)
* 71 (ACE)
* 77 (FUSE)
* 78 (IMAGE)
* 80 (WMAP)
* FAME
* 84 (Swift)
* 85–89 (THEMIS)
* 92 (WISE)
* 95 (TESS)
* 96 (ICON)
* SPHEREx
* MUSE
* HelioSwarm
* UVEX

Small class
(since 1992)|

* 68 (SAMPEX)
* 70 (FAST)
* 73 (TRACE)
* 74 (SWAS)
* 75 (WIRE)†
* 81 (RHESSI)
* 83 (GALEX)
* 90 (AIM)
* 91 (IBEX)
* 93 (NuSTAR)
* 94 (IRIS)
* GEMS
* 97 (IXPE)
* PUNCH
* TRACERS
* COSI

University-class/
Missions of opportunity/
International missions|

* HETE-1†
* 72 (SNOE)
* 76 (TERRIERS)†
* 79 (HETE-2)
* INTEGRAL
* 82 (CHIPSat)
* CINDI
* Suzaku
* TWINS
* Hitomi†
* NICER
* GOLD
* XRISM
* GUSTO
* AWE
* SunRISE
* EZIE
* CASE

Proposals|

* Arcus
* ASTRE
* ESCAPE
* EXCEDE
* FINESSE
* OHMIC

* Green titles indicates active current missions
* Grey titles indicates cancelled missions
* Italics indicate missions yet to launch
* Symbol † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned

* v
* t
* e

Space telescopes

Operating|

| Radio and Microwave|

* NCLE (since 2018)
* Solar Orbiter (since 2020)
* STEREO (since 2006)
* Queqiao (since 2018)
* Wind (since 1994)
* Queqiao 2 (since 2024)

|

Infrared|

* Odin (since 2001)
* James Webb (since 2022)
* SPHEREx (since 2025)

Optical|

* Aoi (since 2018)
* Astrosat (since 2015)
* BRITE constellation (since 2013)
* CHASE (since 2021)
* CHEOPS (since 2019)
* DSCOVR (since 2015)
* Euclid (since 2023)
* Hayabusa2 (since 2021)
* HiRISE (since 2005)
* Hubble (since 1990)
* Hinode (Solar-B) (since 2006)
* NEOSSat (since 2013)
* Odin (since 2001)
* SDO (since 2010)
* SOHO (since 1995)
* Swift (since 2004)
* TESS (since 2018)
* PROBA-3 (since 2024)

Ultraviolet|

* Aditya-L1 (since 2023)
* ASO-S (since 2022)
* Astrosat (since 2015)
* Hibari (since 2021)
* Hinode (Solar-B) (since 2006)
* IRIS (since 2013)
* SDO (since 2010)
* SOHO (since 1995)
* Solar Orbiter (since 2020)
* STEREO (since 2006)
* Swift (since 2004)
* PROBA-3 (since 2024)

X-ray and Gamma-ray|

* CALET (since 2015)
* Chandra (AXAF) (since 1999)
* DAMPE (since 2015)
* Einstein Probe (since 2024)
* HXMT (Insight) (since 2017)
* Fermi (since 2008)
* GECAM (since 2020)
* IXPE (since 2021)
* Spektr-RG (since 2019)
* SVOM (since 2024)
* Swift (since 2004)
* Max Valier Sat (since 2017)
* MAXI (since 2009)
* MinXSS-2 (since 2018)
* NICER (since 2017)
* NuSTAR (since 2012)
* LEIA (since 2022)
* XRISM (since 2023)
* XPoSat (since 2024)
* XMM-Newton (since 1999)

Other (particle
or unclassified)|

* ACE (since 1997)
* AMS-02 (since 2011)
* CALET (since 2015)
* DAMPE (since 2015)
* IBEX (since 2008)
* ISS-CREAM (since 2017)
* Mini-EUSO (since 2019)
* SOHO (since 1995)
* Solar Orbiter (since 2020)
* STEREO (since 2006)

Planned|

* PETREL (2025)
* K-EUSO (2026)
* Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (2026)
* PLATO (2026)
* Xuntian (2026)
* COSI (2027)
* LORD (2027)
* NEO Surveyor (2027)
* JASMINE (2028)
* Solar-C EUVST (2028)
* ARIEL (2029)
* Spektr-UV (2030)
* UVEX (2030)
* Spektr-M (2030+)
* LiteBIRD (2032)
* Taiji (2033)
* Athena (2035)
* LISA (2035)

Proposed|

* Arcus
* Astro-1 Telescope
* AstroSat-2
* EXCEDE
* Fresnel Imager
* FOCAL
* GSST-PMM
* HabEx
* HWO
* Hypertelescope
* ILO-1
* iWF-MAXI
* JEM-EUSO
* LUCI
* LUVOIR
* Lynx
* Nano-JASMINE
* Nautilus Deep Space Observatory
* New Worlds Mission
* NRO donation to NASA
* ORBIS
* OST
* PhoENiX
* Solar-D
* Space Solar Telescope
* THEIA
* THESEUS

Retired|

* AGILE (2007–2024)
* Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011)
* ALEXIS (1993–2005)
* Alouette 1 (1962–1972)
* Ariel 1 (1962, 1964)
* Ariel 2 (1964)
* Ariel 3 (1967–1969)
* Ariel 4 (1971–1972)
* Ariel 5 (1974–1980)
* Ariel 6 (1979–1982)
* ASTERIA (2017–2019)
* ATM (1973–1974)
* ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000)
* Astro-1 (1990)
* BBXRT
* HUT
* Astro-2 (HUT) (1995)
* Astron (1983–1991)
* ANS (1974–1976)
* BeppoSAX (1996–2003)
* CHIPSat (2003–2008)
* Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000)
* CoRoT (2006–2013)
* Cos-B (1975–1982)
* COBE (1989–1993)
* CXBN-2 (2017–2019)
* DXS (1993)
* EPOCh (2008)
* EPOXI (2010)
* Explorer 11 (1961)
* EXOSAT (1983–1986)
* EUVE (1992–2001)
* FUSE (1999–2007)
* Gaia (2013–2025)
* GALEX (2003–2013)
* Gamma (1990–1992)
* Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991)
* Granat (1989–1998)
* Hakucho (CORSA-b) (1979–1985)
* HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005)
* HEAO-1 (1977–1979)
* Herschel (2009–2013)
* Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991)
* Hisaki (SPRINT-A) (2013–2023)
* HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982)
* HEAO-3 (1979–1981)
* HETE-2 (2000–2008)
* Hipparcos (1989–1993)
* ILO-X (2024)
* INTEGRAL (2002–2025)
* IRAS (1983)
* IRTS (1995–1996)
* ISO (1996–1998)
* IUE (1978–1996)
* IXAE (1996–2004)
* Kepler (2009–2018)
* Kristall (1990–2001)
* Kvant-1 (1987–2001)
* LEGRI (1997–2002)
* LISA Pathfinder (2015–2017)
* MinXSS (2015–2017)
* MOST (2003–2019)
* MSX (1996–1997)
* Mikhailo Lomonosov (2016–2019?)
* OAO-2 (1968–1973)
* OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981)
* Orbiting Solar Observatory
* OSO 1
* OSO B
* OSO 3
* OSO 4
* OSO 5
* OSO 6
* OSO 7
* OSO 8
* Orion 1 (1971)
* Orion 2 (1973)
* PAMELA (2006–2016)
* PicSat (2018)
* Planck (2009–2013)
* RELIKT-1 (1983–1984)
* R/HESSI (2002–2018)
* ROSAT (1990–1999)
* RXTE (1995–2012)
* SAMPEX (1992–2004)
* SAS-B (1972–1973)
* SAS-C (1975–1979)
* SOLAR (2008–2017)
* Solwind (1979–1985)
* Spektr-R (2011–2019)
* Spitzer (2003–2020)
* Suzaku (Astro-EII) (2005–2015)
* Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980)
* Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985)
* Uhuru (1970–1973)
* Vanguard 3 (1959)
* WMAP (2001–2010)
* WISE (2009–2024)
* Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)

Hibernating
(Mission completed)|

* SWAS (1998–2005)
* TRACE (1998–2010)

Lost/Failed|

* OAO-1 (1966)
* OAO-B (1970)
* CORSA (1976)
* CXBN (2012–2013)
* OSO C (1965)
* ABRIXAS (1999)
* HETE-1 (1996)
* WIRE (1999)
* Astro-E (2000)
* Tsubame (2014–2015)
* Hitomi (Astro-H) (2016)

Cancelled|

* Aelita
* AOSO
* Astro-G
* Constellation-X
* Darwin
* Destiny
* EChO
* Eddington
* FAME
* FINESSE
* GEMS
* HOP
* IXO
* JDEM
* LOFT
* OSO J
* OSO K
* Sentinel
* SIM & SIMlite
* SNAP
* SPICA
* SPOrt
* TAUVEX
* TPF
* XEUS
* XIPE

Related|

* Great Observatories program
* List of space telescopes
* List of proposed space telescopes
* X-ray telescope
* List of heliophysics missions
* List of planetariums
* Hubble (2010 documentary)
* Deep Sky (2023 documentary)
* Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023 documentary)

* Category:Space telescopes

* v
* t
* e

← 2024

Orbital launches in 2025

2026 →

January|

* Thuraya 4-NGS
* Shijian 25
* Starlink G6-71 (24 satellites)
* Starlink G12-11 (21 satellites)
* USA-463,...,USA-484 / Starshield × 22
* Starlink G12-12 (21 satellites)
* Jielong 3 (10 Centispace-1 satellites)
* Starlink G12-4 (21 satellites)
* Transporter-12 (131 satellites)
* Falcon 9 Block 5 (Blue Ghost Mission 1, Hakuto-R Mission 2)
* New Glenn (Blue Ring)
* Starship flight test 7†
* Long March 2D (PRSC-EO1, Tianlu-1, Lantan-1)
* Ceres-1 (Yunyao-1 37-40, Jitianxing A-05)
* Falcon 9 Block 5 (Starlink G13-1 (21 satellites), USA-485, USA-486 / Starshield × 2)
* Starlink G11-8 (27 satellites)
* Qianfan Polar Group 06 (18 satellites)
* TJS-14
* Starlink G11-6 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G12-7 (21 satellites)
* GSLV F15 (NVS-02)
* Spainsat NG I

February|

* Starlink G11-4 (22 satellites)
* Michibiki-6
* Starlink G12-3 (21 satellites)
* WorldView Legion 5,WorldView Legion 6
* Kosmos-2581, Kosmos-2582, Kosmos-2583
* Starlink G12-9 (21 satellites)
* Kinéis 4 A-E
* Starlink G11-10 (23 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 02 (9 satellites)
* Starlink G12-18 (21 satellites)
* Starlink G12-8 (21 satellites)
* BlackSky Global 31
* Starlink G10-12 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G12-14 (23 satellites)
* ChinaSat 10R
* Starlink G15-1 (22 satellites)
* Falcon 9 Block 5 (IM-2, Lunar Trailblazer)
* Starlink G12-13 (21 satellites)
* Siwei Gaojing 1-03, Siwei Gaojing 1-04
* Progress MS-30

March|

* Kosmos 2584 / GLONASS-K2 №2
* Starlink G12-20 (21 satellites)
* CSO-3
* Starship flight test 8†
* TJS-15
* Qianfan Polar Group 05 (18 satellites)
* Falcon 9 Block 5 (SPHEREx, PUNCH)
* Starlink G12-21 (21 satellites)
* Crew-10
* QPS-SAR-9
* Siwei Gaojing 3-02
* Transporter-13 (74 satellites)
* Starlink G12-16 (23 satellites)
* Kosmos 2585 / Strela-3M №19, Kosmos 2586 / Strela-3M №20, Kosmos 2587 / Strela-3M №21
* Ceres-1 (Yunyao-1 55-60, AIRSAT-06, AIRSAT-07)
* Kinéis 5 A-E
* Starlink G12-25 (23 satellites)
* USA-487,...,USA-497 / Starshield × 11
* Ceres-1 (Yunyao-1 43-48)
* USA-498
* OTC Phase 1 (8 satellites)
* Tianlian II-04
* Starlink G11-7 (27 satellites)
* TJS-16
* Spectrum†
* Starlink G6-80 (28 satellites)

April|

* Fram2
* Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 6 A-D
* Tianping 3A-02
* Starlink G11-13 (27 satellites)
* Starlink G6-72 (28 satellites)
* Starlink G11-11 (27 satellites)
* Soyuz MS-27
* TJS-17
* USA-499,...,USA-520 / Starshield × 22
* Starlink G12-17 (21 satellites)
* Starlink G6-73 (27 satellites)
* USA-521, USA-522
* Shiyan 27 A-F
* USA-523,...,USA-544 / Starshield × 22
* CRS-32
* Bandwagon-3
* Shenzhou 20
* Starlink G6-74 (28 satellites)
* Tianlian II-05
* Starlink G12-23 (21 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 03 (10 satellites)
* Starlink G11-9 (27 satellites)
* Project Kuiper KA-01 (27 satellites)
* Starlink G12-10 (23 satellites)
* Biomass
* LM400†

May|

* Starlink G6-75 (28 satellites)
* Starlink G6-84 (29 satellites)
* Starlink G6-93 (28 satellites)
* Starlink G15-3 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G6-91 (28 satellites)
* Yaogan 40 Group 02 (3 satellites)
* TJS-19
* Starlink G15-4 (26 satellites)
* Starlink G6-83 (28 satellites)
* Taikong Jisuan 1-12
* Starlink G6-67 (28 satellites)
* Starlink G15-5 (26 satellites)
* Zhuque-2E (Tianyi 29, Tianyi 34-35, Tianyi 42, Tianyi 45-46)
* QPS-SAR-10
* PSLV-C60 (EOS-09)†
* Ceres-1 (Tianqi 16-18, Tianqi-20)
* ChinaSat 3B
* Starlink G12-15 (23 satellites)
* Kinetica 1 (Taijing-3-04, Taijing-4-02-A, Xingrui-11, Xiguang-1 02, Xingjiyuan-1, Lifang108-001)
* Kosmos-2588
* Starlink G11-16 (27 satellites)
* Starlink G12-22 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G17-1 (24 satellites)
* Starship flight test 9†
* Starlink G10-32 (27 satellites)
* Tianwen-2
* Shijian 26
* USA-545
* Starlink G11-18 (27 satellites)

June|

* BlackSky Global 32
* Starlink G12-19 (23 satellites)
* Starlink G11-22 (27 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 04 (10 satellites)
* SXM-10
* Starlink G15-8 (26 satellites)
* Starlink G12-24 (23 satellites)
* QPS-SAR-11
* Starlink G15-6 (26 satellites)
* Starlink G12-23 (23 satellites)
* CSES-02
* Starlink G15-9 (26 satellites)
* Starlink G10-18 (28 satellites)
* Kosmos-2589
* ChinaSat 9C
* Starlink G10-23 (27 satellites)
* Project Kuiper KA-02 (27 satellites)
* Axiom Mission 4
* Starlink G10-16 (27 satellites)
* HawkEye 360 Cluster 12 (3 satellites)
* Starlink G10-34 (27 satellites)
* Echostar Lyra
* GOSAT-GW
* Starlink G15-7 (26 satellites)

July|

* MTG-S1
* Starlink G10-25 (27 satellites)
* Shiyan 28 B-01
* Progress MS-31
* Starlink G10-28 (28 satellites)
* Dror-1
* Tianzhou 9
* Starlink G15-2 (26 satellites)
* Project Kuiper KF-01 (24 satellites)
* Starlink G17-3 (24 satellites)
* O3b mPOWER 9 & 10
* TRACERS
* Ionosfera-M n°3 & n°4
* CO3D, MicroCarb
* Starlink G10-26 (28 satellites)
* Starlink G17-2 (24 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 05 (9 satellites)
* Kunpeng-03
* Eris TestFlight1†
* Starlink G10-29 (28 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 06 (9 satellites)
* NISAR
* PRSC-S1

August|

* Starlink G13-4 (19 satellites)
* Crew-11
* Starlink G10-30 (28 satellites)
* SatNet LEO Group 07 (9 satellites)
* QPS-SAR-12

Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ).
Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

* v
* t
* e

2025 in space

* « 2024

2026 »

Space probe launches |

* Hakuto-R Mission 2 (January)
* Blue Ghost Mission 1 (January)
* IM-2 (February)
* SPHEREx (March)
* Tianwen-2 (May)
* Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (September)
* Pandora Mission (September)

Selected NEOs|

* Asteroid close approaches
* 2020 PN1
* 2024 YR4

Discoveries|

* 128 moons of Saturn
* 2 moons of Jupiter
* 2017 OF201
* 2020 VN40
* 2023 KQ14
* Altieri's lens
* ASKAP J1832−0911
* Atmospheric structure of WASP-121b
* Imaging of Betelgeuse's companion
* Eos cloud
* GW231123
* MoM-z14
* Quipu (supercluster)
* Vera C. Rubin Observatory first light discovery of 2,000+ asteroids

| Exoplanets |

* Alpha Centauri Ab JWST imaging
* Barnard's Star
* b
* c
* d
* e
* BD+05 4868Ab
* TWA 7 b

|

Comets |

* C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
* C/2024 L5 (ATLAS)
* C/2025 F2 (SWAN)
* 3I/ATLAS
* 210P/Christensen

Novae|

* V462 Lupi
* V572 Velorum

Space exploration|

Lucy flyby of 52246 Donaldjohanson

Miscellaneous events|

* K2-18b biosignature controversy
* Newly named dwarf planet candidates Máni, Aya, Achlys, Ritona, Chiminigagua

* Outer space portal
* Category:2024 in outer space — Category:2025 in outer space — Category:2026 in outer space

*[no.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template