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<\/p>\nOn Dec. 4, the cameras of NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft took their first images 26 million kilometers away from Earth. This milestone, called \u201cfirst light,\u201d was one of many the agency needed to complete on its way to its destination, a metallic asteroid called 16 Psyche. The spacecraft is set to reach this asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in 2029.<\/p>\n
Psyche was launched on Oct. 13 atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kenedy Space Center in Florida. A few hours after launch, the spacecraft entered an initial checkout phase that is set to last about 100 days, during which teams will test the spacecraft\u2019s instruments and systems to verify they are working as planned. Testing the spacecraft\u2019s cameras was the latest step in this phase to be completed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Psyche\u2019s \u201cfirst light\u201d<\/p>\n
The first image from Psyche shows stars in the constellation Pisces, which the spacecraft\u2019s Multispectral Imager instrument happened to be pointing at when it was first turned on. Each of the instrument\u2019s two identical cameras took one image, both of which were stitched together to create one picture.<\/p>\n
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Mosaic of Psyche\u2019s first light images, showing a star field in the constellation Pisces. The image shows raw, uncalibrated data. (Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU)<\/p>\n
\u201cThese initial images are only a curtain-opener,\u201d said Psyche imager instrument lead Jim Bell of Arizona State University. \u201cFor the team that designed and operates this sophisticated instrument, first light is a thrill. We 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. And 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
The team captured 68 images to test and calibrate the instrument and its filters. These filters allow scientists to observe 16 Psyche in different wavelengths of light and analyze the composition of the asteroid\u2019s surface. Additionally, they will use the cameras to study Psyche\u2019s geology and history by creating a 3D map of the asteroid.<\/p>\n
Psyche\u2019s Multispectral Imager instrument provides scientific images and serves as a mission-critical optical navigation instrument. The spacecraft is fitted with a pair of cameras to provide redundancy for these important tasks.<\/p>\n
Spaceflight news subscription (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n The full image can be found here. Laser communication experiment<\/p>\n Earlier, on Nov. 14, the teams reached another notable milestone when they tested the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment. This experiment is designed to demonstrate optical communications using near-infrared laser beams in deep space. Even though this technology has been used in space before, this was the first test using optical communications beyond the Moon.<\/p>\n To test this experiment, NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) used a laser beacon to send a signal to Psyche, which the spacecraft then locked onto and used to aim its laser at a receiving telescope on Earth. The large distance between the spacecraft and the earth \u2013 16 million kilometers at the time of the test \u2013 meant the spacecraft had to be capable of aiming its laser extremely precisely. As an additional challenge, the teams had to compensate for the distance Psyche had traveled during the time it took the signal to traverse space.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nAn annotated version of the same image with stars labeled can be found here.<\/p>\n