NASA's Mission of Charting a Metallic World

In this artistic depiction, we embark on a journey to Psyche, a metallic world. This asteroid offers a unique glimpse into the fundamental elements of planet formation. The NASA Psyche mission is scheduled for a 2023 launch and anticipates reaching the Psyche asteroid, positioned in the region between Mars and Jupiter, by 2026. The spacecraft, also dubbed Psyche, will encircle the asteroid for a span of 21 months, meticulously charting its topography and investigating its attributes. Leading the mission is Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton from Arizona State University. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory oversees the comprehensive management of the mission, including system engineering, integration and testing, as well as mission operations. Notably, Maxar Technologies contributes a high-powered solar electric propulsion spacecraft framework.