NASA\u2019s Psyche mission began eight weeks ago when it launched from the Kennedy Space Center. While it won\u2019t reach its objective, the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, until 2029, the spacecraft has already travelled 26 million km (16 million miles.) During that time, it\u2019s already had its share of success as it ticks off items on its checklist of tests.<\/p>\n
Now, we have our first images from Psyche. And while they don\u2019t show us anything about its eventual target, they give us a behind-the-scenes look at how complex spacecraft prepare themselves as they cruise toward their destinations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n When spacecraft like Psyche are launched, they\u2019re ensconced in the nose of the rocket that carries them. All eyes are on the rocket and its successful launch. But once they separate from the rocket, they\u2019re on their own and mission engineers monitor them carefully, powering up systems and checking scientific instruments according to a precise checklist. <\/p>\n Psyche has already streamed back some data and powered up scientific instruments. Now its twin cameras are operating, and we have our first images. They\u2019re starfield images used to tell Psyche where it\u2019s at in space. Psyche\u2019s imaging system sent back a total of 68 images, all from the constellation Pisces. The image data will verify that the spacecraft is following thruster commands properly, allow mission personnel to verify that telemetry is working, and also allow images to be calibrated. <\/p>\n These images are like a newly-commissioned telescope\u2019s first light. <\/p>\n Jim Bell is an astronomy professor at Arizona State University and the Psyche Imaging team lead. \u201cThese initial images are only a curtain-opener,\u201d Bell said in a press release. \u201cFor the team that designed and operates this sophisticated instrument, first light is a thrill.\u201d<\/p>\n Psyche will take opportunistic images of other bodies along its journey. These images also give mission operators a chance to test and verify the spacecraft\u2019s imaging system in preparation for its rendezvous with the asteroid Psyche.<\/p>\n \u201cWe start checking out the cameras with star images like these, then in 2026, we\u2019ll take test images of Mars during the spacecraft\u2019s flyby,\u201d Bell said. \u201cAnd finally, in 2029, we\u2019ll get our most exciting images yet \u2013 of our target asteroid Psyche. We look forward to sharing all of these visuals with the public.\u201d<\/p>\n We don\u2019t have any great images of Pysche. Most of the images are artist\u2019s illustrations based on scientific data. They can only give us an indication of what it actually looks like.<\/p>\n Spacecraft cameras often employ a system of filters to make them more versatile and scientifically productive. Psyche\u2019s imaging system is a multispectral imager made of two identical cameras that provide redundancy in case there are any problems. The cameras have a system of filters that helps Psyche determine the nature of the asteroid\u2019s topography, composition, and geology. Imager data will also build 3D maps of the asteroid\u2019s surface. <\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t even know for sure just what Psyche is.\u201d<\/p>\n Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Psyche mission Principal Investigator.<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n As for the asteroid itself, it\u2019s unique. In fact, it\u2019s not just unique, it\u2019s improbable. It may be the core from a planetesimal that was stripped of its outer layers through collision with another body. So this is a rare opportunity to examine something that nature has kindly excavated for us. According to one Psyche design document, the mission will give us a \u201cLook inside the terrestrial planets, including Earth, by directly examining the interior of a differentiated body, which otherwise could not be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n Psyche is a mystery. If it is a planetary core, it\u2019s nothing like the rocky planets. Rocks on Earth, Mars, and Venus contain ample iron oxides. From a distance, Psyche doesn\u2019t seem to contain many of these compounds. This suggests that its formation history is much different, but only a closer look can tell for sure. Scientists are keen to understand more clearly how our Solar System and its bodies formed, and outliers like Psyche are an important part of the bigger picture.<\/p>\n Once Psyche reaches its target, it\u2019ll perform four progressively lower science orbits. Each orbit not only gives higher resolution science data, but they effectively \u201ctrain\u201d Psyche\u2019s magnetometer. Its data will become more precise as Psyche gets closer. This is important because it\u2019s up to the magnetometer to answer the huge question about the asteroid: is it the iron-rich core of a protoplanet or not? <\/p>\n The imaging system is only the most recent successful test operation. The Psyche team has already fired the thrusters and tested part of the spacecraft\u2019s gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. They\u2019ve also tested the new Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) system that uses lasers to send and receive data. <\/p>\n We have to wait until 2029 for all this work to pay off. At that time, Psyche will enter orbit around the asteroid and begin its nearly two-year mission to study it. While other missions have returned samples of asteroids, and while NASA\u2019s Lucy spacecraft will visit a handful of asteroids in a single mission, none of those targets are like Psyche. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a whole new kind of world,\u201d said\u00a0Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a professor of Earth and space exploration at Arizona State University and principal investigator for the Psyche mission. \u201cWe don\u2019t even know for sure just what Psyche is,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re used to going to Mars, where we know a lot about it already\u2014we have a lot of context. We just don\u2019t have that for Psyche.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Psyche's](\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Psyche-multispectral-imager-1024x578.jpg\")
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