Falcon Heavy | Psyche

Launch Provider & Rocket

• Provider: SpaceX (Commercial)
• Rocket: Falcon Heavy — Falcon family

Mission

Psyche is a NASA interplanetary mission to visit the main belt asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. Spacecraft will take 4 years and one Mars flyby to reach the asteroid, which is of particular interest due to being comprised mostly of iron and nickel. Psyche is theorized to be a remnant of an early planet's core, and may offer insights into how solar system formed and evolved. The mission is led by Arizona State University, with NASA JPL being responsible for mission management and operations.

• Type: Planetary Science
• Orbit: Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A)

Launch Site

• Pad: Launch Complex 39A
• Location: Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
• View on map

Program

• Discovery Program — The Discovery Program is a series of Solar System exploration missions funded by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through its Planetary Missions Program Office. The cost of each mission is capped at a lower level than missions from NASA's New Frontiers or Flagship Programs. As a result, Discovery missions tend to be more focused on a specific scientific goal rather than serving a general purpose. (Wikipedia)