VIAVI Powers NASA's Space Exploration With Precision Optics In SPHEREx Mission: Details

Technology company VIAVI Solutions Inc. VIAV said it is being involved in NASA’s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission, which was launched on March 11, 2025.

The mission, led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), aims to perform the first comprehensive all-sky spectral survey in the near-infrared spectrum.

The SPHEREx mission is poised to transform the comprehension of the cosmos by charting hundreds of millions of galaxies and stars.

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“Today marks a monumental milestone for our entire team at VIAVI,” said Luke Scrivanich, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Optical Security and Performance, VIAVI.

By capturing the universe in 102 distinct infrared color bands, it seeks to deliver vital insights into cosmic inflation, the development of galaxies, and the origins of water and organic molecules in planetary systems.

The company’s Linear Variable Filters, working in tandem with six precise 2k x 2k detectors, allow SPHEREx to detect weak infrared signals.

These filters separate light wavelengths from 0.75 to 5.0 µm, while VIAVI’s dichroic beamsplitter efficiently directs and divides the light for optimal data collection, enabling the mission to create a spectral map of the universe.

VIAVI’s previous contributions to notable space missions include the LEISA instrument on New Horizons, which provided spectral images of Jupiter and Pluto, the OVIRS instrument on OSIRIS-REx, and the MISE instrument on Europa Clipper, which will map the surface ice of Jupiter’s moon Europa.

Price Action: VIAV shares traded lower by 0.27% at $10.73 at last check Thursday.

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