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Robotically unfurling in a clean room near NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Psyche spacecraft\u2019s jumbo solar arrays were tested and permanently installed on the orbiter in preparation for its 2.5 billion-mile (4 billion-kilometer) journey to study a metal-rich asteroid. The launch period opens on Oct. 5.<\/p>\n
After passing the deployment test, the twin wings were re-stowed and will remain tucked away on the sides of the orbiter until the spacecraft leaves Earth. Psyche is scheduled to reach its destination \u2013 a mysterious asteroid of the same name, in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter \u2013 in July 2029. Then the spacecraft will orbit the asteroid from various altitudes for 26 months to gather images and other data.<\/p>\n
Scientists hope that learning about the asteroid, which may be part of a core of a planetesimal (a building block of a planet), will tell us more about planetary cores and Earth\u2019s own formation.<\/p>\n
This final installation of the solar arrays took place at Astrotech Space Operations, near Kennedy. The arrays were deployed during testing last year at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. At 800 square feet (75 square meters), the five-panel, cross-shaped solar arrays are the largest ever deployed at JPL. With the arrays unfurled in flight, the spacecraft will be about the size of a singles tennis court.<\/p>\n
Although they will produce more than 20 kilowatts of power when the spacecraft is near Earth, the solar arrays are primarily designed to work in the low light of deep space. The asteroid Psyche is so far from the Sun that even these massive arrays will generate just over 2 kilowatts of power at that distance.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s only a little more power than a hair dryer uses but is ample energy to meet Psyche\u2019s electrical needs, including running science instruments, telecommunications, equipment that controls the orbiter\u2019s temperature, and the spacecraft\u2019s superefficient solar electric propulsion engines. The system\u2019s thrusters use electromagnetic fields to accelerate and push out charged atoms, or ions, of the neutral gas xenon. The expelled ions create the thrust that pushes Psyche through space and emits a blue glow.<\/p>\n This thrust is so gentle, it exerts about the same amount of pressure you\u2019d feel holding the weight of one AA battery in your hand. But it\u2019s enough to accelerate Psyche through deep space. With no atmospheric drag to hold it back, the spacecraft will accelerate to speeds of up to 124,000 mph (200,000 kph) relative to Earth during its interplanetary journey to the asteroid belt.<\/p>\n In mid-August, a crew is scheduled to begin loading all 2,392 pounds (1,085 kilograms) of xenon onto the spacecraft over the course of a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n A SpaceX Falcon Heavy is targeted to launch Psyche from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center no earlier than 10:38 a.m. EDT (7:38 a.m. PDT) on Oct. 5, with additional opportunities scheduled through Oct. 25.<\/p>\n More About the Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is responsible for the mission\u2019s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.<\/p>\n JPL also is providing a technology demonstration instrument called Deep Space Optical Communications that will fly on Psyche in order to test high-data-rate laser communications that could be used by future NASA missions.<\/p>\n Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA\u2019s Discovery Program, managed by the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA\u2019s Launch Services Program, based at the Kennedy Space Center, is managing the launch service.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.satnow.com\/news\/nasa_2_638267251638773744.jpg\")
Team members prepare to integrate one of two solar arrays on NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft, inside the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 24.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n