On October 17, 2025, the “SPHEREx and Earth 2.0 (ET) Space Mission Thinkshop”, hosted by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was successfully held in Shanghai. The workshop was co-chaired by Professor Shrinivas R. Kulkarni, 2024 Shaw Prize Laureate in Astronomy and professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and Professor Jian Ge, Principal Investigator of the Earth 2.0 (ET) space mission at SHAO.

The event brought together nearly 30 experts and scholars from 12 research institutions at home and abroad, including Caltech, the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, the National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC), Yunnan Observatories, the University of Science and Technology of China, Beijing Normal University, Tsinghua University, Peking University, the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Fudan University, and Nankai University.

With the theme of “openness, equality, and innovation,” the workshop focused on how to fully leverage the all-sky low-resolution infrared spectroscopic data from the SPHEREx mission to support a wide range of astronomical studies, including those of the ET space mission. Participants held in-depth discussions on the potential applications of SPHEREx data in exoplanet detection, stellar physics, galaxy and active galactic nucleus studies, and Earth’s upper atmosphere research. The workshop adopted a creative “brainstorming” format that combined free discussion with thematic presentations, encouraging graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to actively contribute ideas and fostering a highly efficient, equal, and collaborative academic environment.

Highlights and Key Outcomes

1.Data Synergy and Target Optimization:
The upcoming low-resolution infrared spectroscopic data from SPHEREx will significantly aid the ET mission in pre-launch target selection and prioritization.