Meeting Time:
Tuesday 4:00-5:15pm
Project Description:
Psyche, an asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter, is likely made largely of nickel-iron metal. As such, it offers a unique look into the violent collisions that created Earth and the terrestrial planets. NASA’s Psyche mission is the first to a metal-rich asteroid, which is also named Psyche. The agency is targeting a launch no earlier than Oct. 12, 2023. The mission will ride to space on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Cruising through space with a super-efficient solar electric propulsion system, the Psyche spacecraft is expected to arrive at the asteroid to begin science operations in 2029. It will orbit this unique world for at least 26 months. This project involves developing a landing system for future missions on Psyche. While the next launch would not be for 10+ years, there are likely teams of scientists and engineers starting to plan the next mission.