Let’s launch and establish communications - then we can scream, jump, and hug each other. “We all are, but we are not ecstatic yet. “I am ready to be ecstatic,” said Psyche principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in a September 6 statement. Once the spacecraft reaches asteroid Psyche in August 2029, it will spend nearly two years orbiting the asteroid and gathering data, eventually coming within 47 miles (76 km) of the asteroid’s surface. At its closest encounter with Mars, it will reach 1,900 to 2,700 miles (3,000 to 4,400 km) above the planet.Īlso on its journey to Psyche, the mission will test a new high-speed optical laser communications technology called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) for potential use on future solar system missions. The spacecraft will use the Red Planet’s gravity to increase its speed and redirect itself without tapping into its limited onboard propellants. Throughout the six-year journey, large solar arrays will convert sunlight into electricity that will power the spacecraft’s thrusters, which will generate electromagnetic fields to accelerate xenon atoms - Psyche’s fuel - away from the craft, moving it gently forward.Īlong the way, Psyche will fly close to Mars in 2026 for a gravity assist. Psyche will have a 2.2 billion-mile (3.5 billion kilometers) commute to its target, relying largely on solar-electric propulsion. The report also stated that many of the shortcomings were not unique to the mission but a reflection of broader institutional issues at JPL. The IRB later reported that contributors to the delay - many of which were due to or exacerbated by the pandemic - included software issues, late software delivery, communication failures between staff members and management, and staffing issues. The missed deadline resulted in an investigation into the cause by an Independent Review Board (IRB). In a previous press release, NASA stated the agency did not have enough time to complete the testing needed before the launch period. The launch comes after the Psyche mission was delayed when NASA missed its 2022 launch window. Alternatively, even if the asteroid is not an exposed core, its unique metallic composition could mean it’s an even stranger object than previously thought. Because actually visiting a rocky planet’s metal core is impossible, the Psyche mission offers an excellent substitution. Studying such a planetesimal would it gives researchers a look inside the terrestrial planets. Scientists suspect it might be the exposed nickel-iron core of a planetesimal (an early planetary building block). The New (and hard to find) Kennedy Space Center Patch Sticker. This metal-rich object in particular has sparked interest because it may be the missing link in scientists’ understanding of the formation of our solar system’s planets. NEW Kennedy Space Center Logo Essential T-Shirt. Asteroid 16 Psyche orbits the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. Psyche’s goal is to perform 21 months of science, visiting the strange, metallic asteroid that bears the same name. The original launch was delayed because of inclement weather. UPDATE: NASA launched the Psyche spacecraft at 10:19 am EDT on Oct. NASA's Psyche spacecraft will be the first to visit a metallic asteroid.
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