Nuked Hello, my fellow tech enthusiasts! Today, I bring you exciting news from NASA’s Psyche mission. The spacecraft has activated its electric Hall thrusters as it journeys towards a metal-rich asteroid in the asteroid belt beyond Mars.
After launching on October 13th, 2023, Psyche is now in “full cruise” mode, making its way towards its target. Along the way, NASA took the opportunity to test laser-based deep space communications, a first for the agency. Psyche is expected to reach the Psyche asteroid by 2029 and will orbit it for two years, sending valuable data back to Earth.
Ion propulsion technology, which powers Psyche’s thrusters, is a combination of old and new for NASA. The agency has been developing this technology since the 1960s and has continued to refine it over the years. Ion thrusters have no moving parts and work by exciting xenon particles to generate thrust.
NASA has a history of using ion propulsion in its missions, with Deep Space 1 in 1998 being the first spacecraft to use it as its main propulsion. Dawn, a mission in 2007, also utilized ion thrusters for its journey through space.
While ion propulsion may not be powerful enough for Earth launches, it can achieve high speeds over time. Currently, Psyche is traveling at 23 miles per second and will eventually reach speeds of up to 124,000mph. These thrusters are durable, fuel-efficient, and ideal for smaller spacecraft.
So, next time you look up at the night sky, remember that there are incredible missions like Psyche out there exploring the wonders of our universe with futuristic technology. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey!
