NASA’s Psyche mission is going to be launched in August 2022. It will be the first launch to explore a giant metal asteroid known as Psyche in the main asteroid belt.

Key Facts

• The asteroid Psyche is in between Mars & Jupiter and is orbiting the Sun.
• The Psyche mission is one among the two missions of NASA to explore early Solar System. The Lucy mission is another mission to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids in order to study early Solar System.

NASA’s Psyche mission

NASA’s Psyche Mission is the first mission, that will be launched to explore a unique giant metal asteroid called Psyche. The mission is being led by Arizona State University. Mission management, navigation and its operations will be looked upon by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Mission was selected as one of the two missions to explore early Solar System on in 2017. Mission will be launched in August 2022 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida and will arrive on Psyche asteroid in 2026.

Observation Period of Psyche asteroid

Mission will spend 21 months for studying and mapping the asteroid Psyche.

Instruments on Psyche mission

The Psyche asteroid is carrying following scientific instruments:

1. X-band Gravity Science Investigation
2. Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer
3. Multispectral Imager
4. Magnetometer