Psyche Spacecraft

Psyche is a planned orbiter mission that will explore the origin of planetary cores by studying the metallic asteroid of the same name. Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University is the principal investigator who proposed this mission for NASA's Discovery Program. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will manage the project. 16 Psyche is the heaviest known M-type asteroid, and is thought to be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet, the remnant of a violent collision with another object that stripped off its mantle and crust. Radar observations of the asteroid from Earth indicate an iron–nickel composition. On 4 January 2017, the Psyche mission was selected for NASA's Discovery #14 mission, and launch is scheduled for 1 August 2022.

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This Week @NASA: The First Images From the Psyche Spacecraft & Space Station Milestone

NASA's Psyche spacecraft finds its 'first light' while zooming to a metal asteroid (image)

NASA's Psyche spacecraft just fired a laser 10 million miles away in deep space

Nasa sends Psyche spacecraft to rare metal asteroid in first mission of its kind

Signal Acquired! NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Begins Its Epic Journey of Discovery

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Blast Off: NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft on Its Way To Metal-Rich Asteroid

NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft, Optical Comms Demo En Route to Asteroid

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Liftoff Imminent: NASA’s Psyche spacecraft Sets Sights on Earth-Like Asteroid

NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Starts Processing at Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Psyche spacecraft starts processing at Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Arrives at Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Heads to Cape Canaveral

Shake and Bake: NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Is Tested in Spacelike Conditions

NASA Psyche Spacecraft Gets Ready for Asteroid Mission, Europa Clipper Assembly Underway [Video]

NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft To Explore Unique Asteroid for Clues to Early Solar System