As the agency's SPHEREx space telescope and PUNCH solar mission rode toward their orbital stations at 10:09 p.m. EST (0209 March 9 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.

SpaceX and NASA are set for the launch of the agency’s newest space telescope and solar research mission. A Falcon 9 will liftoff from California with the SPHEREx near-infrared observatory, with the PUNCH heliophysics mission flying as a rideshare.