NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is preparing to launch Oct. 5 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the asteroid Psyche. The device is equipped with four thrusters, a high-gain antenna and various scientific instruments, such as a multispectral imager, a magnetometer and a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. The journey to the asteroid belt will take six years.
NASA is targeting October 5 to launch the Psyche space probe to a metal-rich asteroid.
NASA’s Psyche space probe will take a spiral path toward the Psyche asteroid, as shown in this infographic, which is marked by key milestones in the primary mission. Test periods for NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration are indicated by red dots. The Psyche mission, aimed at a metal-rich asteroid of the same name, is targeting October 5 for launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
