NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft won't make its planned 2022 launch attempt

NASA's Psyche asteroid mission will not make its planned 2022 launch attempt, the agency said on Friday citing insufficient time to complete the testing needed ahead of its remaining launch period this year.

Led by the Arizona State University (ASU), Psyche is a first-of-its-kind mission to a mysterious, metal-rich asteroid of the same name, which lies in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter and orbits the Sun. The spacecraft's 2022 launch period, which ran from August 1 through October 11, would have allowed it to arrive at the asteroid Psyche in 2026.

The agency is forming an independent assessment team to review the path forward for the project, which was selected as part of its Discovery Program that gives scientists a chance to dig deep into their imaginations and find new ways to unlock the mysteries of our solar system. The team will review possible options for the next steps, including estimated costs, whilst considering implications for the Discovery Program and planetary science portfolio.

There are possible launch periods in both 2023 and 2024, but the relative orbital positions of Psyche and Earth mean the spacecraft would not arrive at the asteroid until 2029 and 2030, respectively. The exact dates of these potential launch periods are yet to be determined, the agency said in a statement.

"Flying to a distant metal-rich asteroid, using Mars for a gravity assist on the way there, takes incredible precision. We must get it right. The decision to delay the launch wasn't easy, but it is the right one," said JPL Director Laurie Leshin.

Mission success is our number one priority, and unfortunately, we have run out of time to thoroughly test critical software for the spacecraft's journey to the asteroid Psyche. We are working with NASA to assess next steps. #MissionToPsyche https://t.co/jJg2qI3IT8

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) June 24, 2022