There was a glimmer in the air tonight at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and it wasn’t only because a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took to the skies carrying precious NASA cargo. As the agency’s SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar mission rode toward their orbital stations tonight (March 11) at 11:10 p.m. EST (0310 March 12 GMT), members of mission control appeared elated, onlookers who caught a peek at the liftoff cheered, and the scientists who built these missions exuded a blend of relief and excitement. “I am…
Read MoreSpaceX rocket launches NASA SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar probes (video)
