"Mapping the Universe: How a New Space Telescope Protects Earth from Asteroids"

NASA's upcoming SPHEREx space telescope, set to launch by April 2025, will conduct a two-year all-sky survey in optical and infrared light, with a main focus on gathering data on galaxies and stars, while also contributing to the detection and characterization of Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs). The telescope's capabilities will aid in planetary defense efforts by cataloguing hundreds of thousands of solar system objects, providing crucial information to prepare for potential asteroid impacts and develop effective mitigation strategies.