NASA's Psyche spacecraft completes gauntlet of tests ahead of launch

NASA's Psyche spacecraft has completed a gauntlet of electromagnetic, thermal-vacuum, vibration, shock, and acoustic testing at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California to ensure it can operate in extreme conditions as it conducts its science investigation in an uncharted world in outer space.

The spacecraft underwent electromagnetic testing to ensure it will operate correctly in the electrical and magnetic conditions of space and that its electrical and magnetic components don't interfere with one another.

It was followed by thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing, during which the spacecraft was exposed to the coldest and warmest conditions it will experience in flight, to prove that it is capable of regulating its own temperature.

TVAC testing was then followed by dynamics testing, which included vibration, shock, and acoustics. The spacecraft was deemed healthy and ready to proceed toward launch.

"This is the proof that everybody’s done their job right. The tests show that, yes, the spacecraft is flight worthy," said Randy Lindemann, the JPL engineer who oversaw Psyche's dynamics testing, which includes vibration, separation shock, and acoustic testing.

Psyche will launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in August 2022 and will use the gravitational force of Mars to slingshot it toward its target - a metal-rich asteroid called Psyche in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft will reach the asteroid in 2026 and spend 21 months collecting science data during progressively lower orbits.

To prepare for its August launch, #MissionToPsyche recently completed a gauntlet of tests to ensure it can operate in the extreme conditions it will face on its trip to a metal-rich asteroid. It was deemed healthy and ready to proceed toward launch ✅https://t.co/9eAaCZAjUS pic.twitter.com/8n3O41hA6O

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 4, 2022

The asteroid Psyche is unique as it appears to be the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet. It offers a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets.