NASA begins final assembly of spacecraft for asteroid psyche

Construction and testing

The phase of assembly, test and launch operations began on March 16, when engineers gathered at High Bay 1 to begin checking the subsystems provided by JPL, flight computer, system communication and low power distribution system to be sure they work together. Now that the chassis has arrived, engineers at JPL and Maxar will begin installing the remaining hardware, testing as they go.

The mission’s three scientific instruments will arrive at JPL over the next few months. The magnetometer will study the potential magnetic field of the asteroid. The multispectral imager will capture images of its surface. And the spectrometer will analyze neutrons and gamma rays coming from the surface to determine the elements that make up the asteroid. JPL is also providing a technology demonstration instrument that will test high-speed laser communications that could be used by future NASA missions.

Once the complete spacecraft is assembled, the orbiter will move from the spacecraft assembly facility to JPL’s large thermal vacuum chamber – a massive undertaking in itself – to simulate the harsh environment of the deep space. The chamber is where JPL engineers will begin intensive testing to ensure the entire machine can survive in deep space, push with the electric propulsion system, take scientific measurements, and communicate with Earth.

Next spring, the fully assembled Psyche will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of its target launch date of August 2022. The spacecraft will fly near Mars for gravity assistance in May 2023 and in early 2026, it will fly near Mars. will orbit the asteroid, where it will spend 21 months gathering scientific data.

Learn more about the mission

ASU is leading the mission. JPL is responsible for the overall mission management, system engineering, integration and testing, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th mission selected under NASA’s Discovery program.

For more information on NASA’s Psyche mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/psyche

https://psyche.asu.edu/