Psyche (space probe)

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psyche

Artist's impression of the Psyche space probe orbiting around (16) Psyche
Mission goal Asteroid (16) psyche
Client National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA NASA
Launcher Falcon Heavy
Course of the mission
Start date Summer 2022Template: future / in 2 years
 
 August 2022 begin
 
 May 2023 Swing-by on Mars
 
 January 2026 Arrival at (16) Psyche
 
Mission logo
Psyche insignia.png

Psyche is a probe mission that aims to explore the origins of planetary cores by examining the metal asteroid (16) Psyche . This asteroid could be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet , likely the remnant of a massive collision with another object that removed its outer mantle. Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University at Tempe is the Principal Investigator and the person who suggested this mission for NASA's Discovery Program . The Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA will manage the project.

(16) Psyche is the heaviest known M-type asteroid and is believed to be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet. Radar observations from Earth show a composition of iron and nickel. On January 4, 2017, the Psyche mission was selected together with the Lucy mission as a new NASA Discovery class mission . On May 24, 2017, NASA announced an early start of the mission in the summer of 2022 due to an improved trajectory and an arrival 4 years earlier than the original plans. Along with Psyche, two small probes launched: Escapade (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorer) is to study the atmosphere of Mars and the influence of the solar wind and Janus should double asteroid research.

overview

The probe would use a solar-electric drive and be equipped with a camera, a magnetometer, and a gamma spectrometer . In addition, a new type of laser-optical communication technology called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) is to be tested, with 10 to 100 times the bandwidth compared to previous radio communication .

It is planned that the mission will Template: future / in 2 yearsstart in 2022 and Template: future / in 5 yearsarrive after 4 years Template: future / in 5 yearsto conduct research there for 20 months . The probe is to be built by NASA JPL in collaboration with Space Systems / Loral and Arizona State University .

aims

A fundamental process in the formation of many asteroids and all earth-like planets is differentiation (segregation of the elements), and direct exploration of this minor planetary core could contribute to understanding. The Psyche mission would characterize the geology, shape, elemental composition, magnetic field and mass distribution of the asteroid. It is expected that the mission will increase our understanding of planet formation and the interior of the planets. The mission's scientific questions are:

  1. Is psyche the bare core of a differentiated planetesimal , or did it arise as an iron-rich celestial body? What were the building blocks of planets? Did planetesimals that formed closer to the sun have significantly different compositions?
  2. If Psyche lost her coat, when and how did it happen?
  3. If Psyche was once melted, did it freeze inside out or outside in?
  4. Did Psyche have a magnetic dynamo when she cooled down?
  5. What are the main alloying elements that are added to the iron in the core?
  6. What are the main characteristics of the geological surface and global topography? Does psyche look radically different from known icy and stony celestial bodies?
  7. How are impact craters on metal different from those on rock or ice?

Measuring instruments

Planned:

  • Multispectral imager
  • Gamma and neutron spectrometers
  • Magnetometer
  • Radio gravity experiment

drive

The probe is said to have an SPT-140 Hall drive , where SPT stands for Stationary Plasma Thruster . Electricity from the solar panels is fed directly to an ion engine.

  • Artist's impression of the space probe over a crater on (16) Psyche

  • Scheme of the architecture for the planned Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) prototype

  • A 3D model of the asteroid (16) Psyche, based on light curve data.

  • Widmanstätten structures as found inside iron-nickel meteorites on earth. Some of them could come from Psyche.

  • 6 kW Hall drive during a test.

Web links

Commons : Psyche (space probe)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b NASA Awards Launch Services Contract for the Psyche Mission . NASA, February 28, 2020: "targeted to launch in July 2022".
  2. ↑ The Timeline on the Psyche project website, accessed on February 28, 2020: "The spacecraft launches in August of 2022."
  3. ↑ a b c The Timeline. Arizona State University , 2019, accessed February 28, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Kenneth Chang: A Metal Ball the Size of Massachusetts That NASA Wants to Explore . In: The New York Times , January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017. 
  5. ↑ a b LT Elkins-Tanton, E. Asphaug, J. Bell, D. Bercovici, BG Bills, Richard P. Binzel, William F. Bottke, I. Jun, S. Marchi, D. Oh, CA Polanskey, BP Weiss , D. Wenkert, MT Zuber: Journey to a Metal World. Concept for a Discovery Mission to Psyche . In: LPI Contribution . No. 1777 , March 2014, p. 1253 , bibcode : 2014LPI .... 45.1253E ( hou.usra.edu [PDF; accessed November 11, 2016] 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference).
  6. ↑ Michael K. Shepard: Radar observations and shape model of asteroid 16 Psyche . In: Icarus . 281, January 1, 2017, pp. 388-403. bibcode : 2017Icar..281..388S . doi : 10.1016 / j.icarus.2016.08.011 .
  7. ↑ Loren Grush: In the 2020s NASA will launch spacecraft to study Jupiter's asteroids, and another made of metal. January 4, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Martin Perez: NASA Moves Up Launch of Psyche Mission to a Metal Asteroid. May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Eric Hand: Venus and a bizarre metal asteroid are leading destinations for low-cost NASA missions . In: Science Insider , September 20, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2017. 
  10. ↑ Samantha Mathewson: NASA picks SpaceX Falcon Heavy to launch Psyche mission to metal asteroid in 2022. March 2, 2020, accessed June 22, 2020 .
  11. ^ Van Kane: Mission to a Metallic World: A Discovery Proposal to Fly to the Asteroid Psyche . In: The Planetary Society , February 19, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2015. 
  12. ↑ Stephen Wampler: Lab-Johns Hopkins team tapped to work on possible NASA effort to explore asteroid . In: LLNL Newsline , November 4, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2015. 
  13. ^ Leonard David: Deep Space Communications via Faraway Photons . NASA @Jet Propulsion Laboratory. October 18, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ Wendy Lewis: SSL Is JPL Industrial Partner For NASA Asteroid Exploration Mission opportunity . In: SSL News , October 26, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2017. 
  15. ↑ NASA Glenn Tests Thruster Bound for Metal World. NASA , September 28, 2017, accessed August 1, 2018 .