Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing, and Performance Measurements of the Near-infrared Spectroscopic Surveyor from the Laboratory to In-orbit Commissioning
10 affiliations
- 1California Institute of Technology
- 2Rochester Institute of Technology
- 3Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian
- 4Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI)
- 5Arizona State University
- 6VIAVI Solutions Inc.
- 7Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA)
- 8University of California Irvine
- 9University of California at Berkeley
- 10BAE Systems
Abstract
The SPHEREx near-infrared space telescope is an all-sky spectroscopic survey mission launched on 2025 March 12 UTC. In addition to providing the community with a spectral database applicable to a wide range of investigations, it is optimized to address three core science goals: to survey the large-scale structure of the Universe for signatures of non-Gaussianity during inflation, to conduct intensity mapping studies of the extragalactic background light for probing the history of galaxy evolution, and to survey the plane of the Milky Way for the prevalence and distribution of water and other biogenic ices. Each of these science goals imposes unique requirements on the performance of the instrument. We detail the design and testing strategies and report the performance results for the full instrument test campaign, ranging from component-level screening to in-orbit tests during the commissioning phase. The instrument, currently operating in full science survey mode, meets all of its driving requirements including optical performance, point-source sensitivity, thermal stability, and correlated noise minimization.
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BibTeX
@article{korngut2026spherex,
title = {{The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing, and Performance Measurements of the Near-infrared Spectroscopic Surveyor from the Laboratory to In-orbit Commissioning}},
author = {Phil M. Korngut and James J. Bock and Samuel Condon and C. Darren Dowell and Candice M. Fazar and Howard Hui and Bradley D. Moore and Bret J. Naylor and Chi H. Nguyen and Stephen Padin and James Wincentsen and Asad M. Aboobaker and Rachel Akeson and John M. Alred and Farah Alibay and Matthew L. N. Ashby and Yoonsoo P. Bach and Joseph Bichel and Douglas Bolton and David F. Braun and Thomas Brown and Sean A. Bryan and Jill Burnham and Thomas A. Burk and Nicholas Burke and Ben Catching and Tzu-Ching Chang and Shuang-Shuang Chen and Yun-Ting Cheng and Yi-Kuan Chiang and Yong Chong and Asantha Cooray and Walter R. Cook and Velibor Cormarkovic and Brendan P. Crill and Ari J. Cukierman and Andrew Davis and Dan Darga and Thomas Disarro and Olivier Doré and Beth E. Fabinsky and Andreas L. Faisst and James L. Fanson and Allen H. Farrington and Tamim Fatahi and Richard M. Feder and Eric H. Frater and Tatiana Goldina and Varoujan Gorjian and William G. Hart and Warren Hendricks and Joseph L. Hora and Viktor Hristov and Zhaoyu Huai and Charles A. Hulse and Young-Soo Jo and Woong-Seob Jeong and Makenzie L. Kamei and Jae Hwan Kang and Branislav Kecman},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3847/1538-4365/aeab86},
url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4365/aeab86},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The SPHEREx Instrument: Calibration, Testing, and Performance Measurements of the Near-infrared Spectroscopic Surveyor from the Laboratory to In-orbit Commissioning
AU - Phil M. Korngut
AU - James J. Bock
AU - Samuel Condon
AU - C. Darren Dowell
AU - Candice M. Fazar
AU - Howard Hui
AU - Bradley D. Moore
AU - Bret J. Naylor
AU - Chi H. Nguyen
AU - Stephen Padin
AU - James Wincentsen
AU - Asad M. Aboobaker
AU - Rachel Akeson
AU - John M. Alred
AU - Farah Alibay
AU - Matthew L. N. Ashby
AU - Yoonsoo P. Bach
AU - Joseph Bichel
AU - Douglas Bolton
AU - David F. Braun
AU - Thomas Brown
AU - Sean A. Bryan
AU - Jill Burnham
AU - Thomas A. Burk
AU - Nicholas Burke
AU - Ben Catching
AU - Tzu-Ching Chang
AU - Shuang-Shuang Chen
AU - Yun-Ting Cheng
AU - Yi-Kuan Chiang
AU - Yong Chong
AU - Asantha Cooray
AU - Walter R. Cook
AU - Velibor Cormarkovic
AU - Brendan P. Crill
AU - Ari J. Cukierman
AU - Andrew Davis
AU - Dan Darga
AU - Thomas Disarro
AU - Olivier Doré
AU - Beth E. Fabinsky
AU - Andreas L. Faisst
AU - James L. Fanson
AU - Allen H. Farrington
AU - Tamim Fatahi
AU - Richard M. Feder
AU - Eric H. Frater
AU - Tatiana Goldina
AU - Varoujan Gorjian
AU - William G. Hart
AU - Warren Hendricks
AU - Joseph L. Hora
AU - Viktor Hristov
AU - Zhaoyu Huai
AU - Charles A. Hulse
AU - Young-Soo Jo
AU - Woong-Seob Jeong
AU - Makenzie L. Kamei
AU - Jae Hwan Kang
AU - Branislav Kecman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
DO - 10.3847/1538-4365/aeab86
UR - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4365/aeab86
AB - The SPHEREx near-infrared space telescope is an all-sky spectroscopic survey mission launched on 2025 March 12 UTC. In addition to providing the community with a spectral database applicable to a wide range of investigations, it is optimized to address three core science goals: to survey the large-scale structure of the Universe for signatures of non-Gaussianity during inflation, to conduct intensity mapping studies of the extragalactic background light for probing the history of galaxy evolution, and to survey the plane of the Milky Way for the prevalence and distribution of water and other biogenic ices. Each of these science goals imposes unique requirements on the performance of the instrument. We detail the design and testing strategies and report the performance results for the full instrument test campaign, ranging from component-level screening to in-orbit tests during the commissioning phase. The instrument, currently operating in full science survey mode, meets all of its driving requirements including optical performance, point-source sensitivity, thermal stability, and correlated noise minimization.
SN - 0067-0049
SN - 1538-4365
ER -