NASA Delayed the Psyche Launch. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal

An independent review of the mission delay has not yet been completed. At a press conference last month, the head of NASA's planetary science division said that a decision about next steps would be made in the coming months. Even if you can't get a probe past Mars, there are other options.

It might be possible for Psyche to reach its asteroid by using the solar-electric propulsion system, according toParker. The solar array that unfolds to the size of a tennis court will convert sunlight into electricity to power Psyche's Hall thrusters, which emit a blue glow.

The advantage of using the Falcon Heavy is that it will give the spaceship more energy to start with than a smaller rocket would, which means it has to come up with less solar energy. Mission planners might be able to make the journey without counting on an alignment with Mars if they focused on power from the liftoff and onboard systems.

A speed boost can be achieved by flinging itself past earth. The head of the European Space Agency's solar system and exploration missions division said that this option was chosen for the comet-bound mission. During its 10-year voyage, the probe gained speed through three Earth flybys and then swung by Mars before it deployed the Philae lander.

The comet had a swooping elliptical path, which made it hard to match its speed andvelocity, as well as another challenge. The plan was to rendezvous with the comet when it wasn't very close to the sun, where it would be more active and complicating the landing.

The best path for the spaceship was a few trips around Earth. Accomazzo says that you begin from the target and work backwards. It was created by my colleagues who tried to find the best solution.

The utility of planetary swing-bys depends on the geometry of the spaceship, so they are not always an option, according toParker. He agrees that they can be beneficial. The main asteroidbelt missions take a lot of fuel. It's possible that Psyche could have launched straight to its target with a bigger launch vehicle or a smaller craft, but that could have increased costs or reduced the scientific exploration that could be accomplished once the ship arrives. For at least 21 months, NASA has been planning for the probe to take pictures of the asteroid and use a magnetometer to look for signs of a planet's core.