Psyche Mission Overview

Psyche launched at 10:19 a.m. EDT Friday, October 13, 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Cruise (the activity that occurs between launch and the encounter with Psyche), included a Mars gravity assist, which took place on May 15, 2026. The spacecraft used the gravity of Mars to increase speed and to set its trajectory to intersect with Psyche’s orbit around the Sun. This slingshot maneuver saves propellant, time and expense. The spacecraft will arrive at Psyche in August 2029.


Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU


For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/psyche/