Elon Musk-led SpaceX is set to launch NASA’s mission to asteroid Psyche today. The mission will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Falcon Heavy rocket.

New Delhi: Elon Musk-led SpaceX is going to launch National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) mission to the asteroid named Psyche today, October 12. As per the information provided by the space agency, the mission will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket. Notably, Psyche is also asteroid’s name and the name of the mission as well. Selected by NASA in 2017 as one of the two missions within its Discovery Program, led by Arizona State University, the Psyche mission was originally scheduled to launch on October 5.

However, NASA recently announced a one-week delay, with the Psyche mission now set to launch at 7.46 PM IST on October 12. This delay will provide NASA with additional time to finalize the verification of parameters related to the Psyche spacecraft’s nitrogen cold gas thrusters. These thrusters play a crucial role in orienting the spacecraft, managing momentum, and other essential functions.

Psyche Mission: The Rescheduling

According to NASA the rescheduling will allow the scientists to complete the verification of the parameters used to control the spacecraft’s nitrogen cold gas thrusters. These thrusters will be used to point itself directions, momentum management and reorientation.

Psyche Mission: The Only 16^th Asteroid To Ever Have Been Discovered

It is noteworthy that, Psyche is the only 16^th asteroid to ever have been discovered which makes it unique in different ways. Discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1852 it was named after goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology.

It is believed that the asteroid is rich in metal content and this is the main reason why astronomers are showing interest on this space rock. It is probably a chance that it is made from the core of a planetesimal, which is one of the building blocks of a planetary system.

Psyche Mission: 500 Million Kilometers Away From The Blue Planet

Situated more than 500 million kilometers away from Earth, the asteroid requires approximately 31 minutes for light to traverse this vast distance. NASA anticipates that the Psyche mission will rendezvous with the asteroid in approximately six years. To provide a sense of scale, if the asteroid were a perfect sphere, its diameter would measure around 226 kilometers, which is roughly equivalent to the aerial distance between Delhi and Chandigarh.

Psyche Mission: The Asteroid

Scientists estimate that the asteroid Psyche encompasses a surface area of approximately 165,800 square kilometers. For comparison, the Indian state of Tamil Nadu spans an approximate land area of 130,058 square kilometers.

Psyche Mission: The Journey

The Psyche spacecraft will undertake its journey to the asteroid by utilizing low-thrust solar-electric propulsion. During its voyage, it will leverage a Mars flyby and a gravity assist. Upon reaching the asteroid, the spacecraft will conduct scientific observations from four successive staging orbits around the celestial body, gradually approaching it with each orbit.