NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Activates Futuristic Thrusters for Asteroid Mission
TL;DR Summary
NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched on October 13, 2023, has activated its ion thrusters and is now cruising through space using solar-electric propulsion. The mission aims to reach the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche by 2029, after a gravity assist from Mars in 2026. The spacecraft is also testing new deep-space optical communications technology and gathering scientific data en route.
Topics:science#asteroid-16-psyche#ion-thrusters#nasa#psyche-mission#solar-electric-propulsion#space-exploration
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- NASA's Psyche fires up its sci-fi-worthy thrusters Phys.org
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