NASA Delays Psyche 'Mission to a Metal World' Launch Due to Glitch
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy won't escort Psyche to space until at least September.
We'll have to wait a little longer to bang our heads to mark the launch of NASA's Psyche "mission to a metal world." The spacecraft's takeoff has been delayed because of a technical problem. "An issue is preventing confirmation that the software controlling the spacecraft is functioning as planned," NASA said in a statement Tuesday.
The spacecraft had been undergoing preparation and checkouts at Kennedy Space Center in Florida when the glitch was discovered. Psyche was set to launch in early August with an assist from SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the more powerful sibling of the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is now pushed back to no earlier than Sept. 20.
Psyche is destined to visit an unusual asteroid named 16 Psyche that seems to be metal-rich and may be the core of an early planet. The asteroid has been the subject of a lot of speculation as to its value in terms of Earth money, but a 2021 study calls into question its origin story and composition. NASA's spacecraft should be able to provide some solid answers.
NASA associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen tweeted his support on Wednesday: "In science, we should always make plans for the unexpected. The Mission to Psyche team is working diligently to ensure all hardware and software are operating correctly. I am confident in their ability to find and correct this issue."
Delays are common with space missions, so Psyche's change of dates isn't unusual. I had previously suggested Deep Purple's Space Truckin' for launch music, but I would now like to add Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan as on-hold music while we wait out the new schedule.