NASA’s Psyche Mission Successfully Launches

Last week, NASA launched its Psyche spacecraft, kicking off a 6-year journey to asteroid Psyche. This mission will study a metal-rich asteroid the size of Massachusetts, thought to be the remnant of the core of a small planet that was destroyed during a collision with another small planet in the asteroid belt during the early days of our solar system.

Image of the Psyche spacecraft launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani.

Psyche successfully launched Friday morning, October 13th, after its initial launch on Thursday was moved due to weather. Everything went according to plan and mission control was able to receive a signal from the spacecraft. Psyche was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The Falcon Heavy’s two reusable boosters returned to Earth after launch and will be used for the NASA Artemis II mission, which will send four astronauts into orbit around the Moon in late 2024.

Why Psyche?

Psyche is a unique, metal-rich asteroid located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, Psyche is named after the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. Scientific analysis of Psyche indicates that it may be 30–60% metal by volume. While it has never been photographed directly, radar observations have helped researchers estimate its shape and composition.