The Psyche mission is gearing up for its highly anticipated launch on October 5th. As the final preparations are underway, the spacecraft’s jumbo solar arrays have been tested and permanently installed, ready for its 2.5 billion-mile journey to study a metal-rich asteroid.
After successfully passing the deployment test, the spacecraft’s twin wings have been re-stowed and will remain tucked away until it leaves Earth. Psyche is set to reach its destination, a mysterious asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, in July 2029. Once there, it will orbit the asteroid from various altitudes for 26 months, collecting valuable data and images.
Scientists are excited about the potential insights that studying this asteroid, which may be part of a planetesimal core, can provide about planetary cores and the formation of Earth itself.
The installation of the solar arrays took place at Astrotech Space Operations near Kennedy Space Center. These massive arrays, spanning 800 square feet, are the largest ever deployed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While they will produce over 20 kilowatts of power near Earth, they are primarily designed to function in the low light conditions of deep space. Even at the asteroid Psyche’s distance from the sun, they will generate just over 2 kilowatts of power.
Despite the seemingly low power output, this is more than enough to meet Psyche’s electrical needs, including running science instruments, telecommunications, temperature control, and the spacecraft’s efficient solar electric propulsion engines. These engines use electromagnetic fields to accelerate and propel charged atoms (ions) of xenon gas, creating the thrust that propels Psyche through space.
The gentle thrust generated by the propulsion system is equivalent to the pressure of holding a single AA battery in your hand. However, in the vacuum of space, this is enough to accelerate Psyche to speeds of up to 124,000 mph relative to Earth during its journey to the asteroid belt.
In mid-August, the spacecraft will be loaded with all 2,392 pounds of xenon gas, which will power its propulsion system. The launch is scheduled for October 5th, with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket set to carry Psyche from Kennedy Space Center.
