Shillong, October 2: NASA has decided to postpone its psyche mission, which aims to explore the metal-rich asteroid of the same name located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
As per IANS, originally scheduled for launch on October 5 atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will now take off on October 12.
The delay is necessary to allow NASA’s team to complete verifications of the parameters used to control the Psyche spacecraft’s nitrogen cold gas thrusters. These thrusters play a crucial role in various aspects of the mission, including spacecraft orientation and momentum management.
Recent adjustments were made to the parameters due to updated, warmer temperature predictions for the thrusters. Ensuring that these thrusters operate within specified temperature limits is essential for their long-term functionality.
Verification activities involve rerunning simulations and fine-tuning adjustments as needed to the flight parameters and procedures. A Flight Readiness Review (FRR) was conducted on September 28, where NASA, SpaceX, and Psyche mission managers provided updates on the mission’s status and certified readiness for final launch preparations, including a static fire test on September 29.
The Psyche mission offers valuable insights into planetary formation. After escaping Earth’s gravity, Psyche will undertake a six-year journey to the asteroid using solar electric propulsion. This efficient system accelerates and expels charged atoms of xenon gas, propelling the spacecraft gently.
The asteroid Psyche, with a width of approximately 279 kilometers at its widest point, presents a unique opportunity to explore a metal-rich body that may be a remnant of a planetesimal’s core, which is a building block of early planets. Once the spacecraft reaches Psyche, it will spend around 26 months orbiting the asteroid, collecting images and data to unravel its history and composition for scientific analysis.