NASA Psyche Mission Charting a Metallic World

In this artist’s rendition, we explore a metallic world named Psyche, an asteroid that offers a unique window into the building blocks of planet formation. The NASA Psyche mission launches in 2023 and will arrive at the asteroid Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, in 2026. The spacecraft, also named Psyche, will spend 21 months orbiting the asteroid, mapping it and studying its properties. The mission is led by Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies is providing a high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.

NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.

To do that, we have worked around the world -- and off it -- for more than 50 years, searching for answers to fundamental questions about our place in the universe. We're exploring space and discovering Earth. Join us for this exciting and important journey.