NASA's Psyche spacecraft has resumed operations following a successful switch to a backup fuel line, resolving a propulsion problem linked to a faulty valve. The spacecraft, which will study a metal-rich asteroid, was initially impacted by a pressure drop in its thruster system. With repairs made, the electric thrusters can operate by mid-June, allowing Psyche to stay on course for its scheduled 2026 Mars flyby and 2029 asteroid arrival. The mission aims to enhance our understanding of planet formation through data collected during its two-year orbit.
The team concluded that a faulty valve in the original propellant line was causing a pressure drop, which prompted the switch to a backup fuel line.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully switched to a backup fuel line, enabling its electric thrusters to resume operation by mid-June.
Psyche is on its way to a metal-rich asteroid, which it is expected to reach in 2029, using its electric thrusters for propulsion.
After traveling a billion kilometers, Psyche is crucial for advancing our understanding of planet formation through data collected from its two-year orbit around the asteroid.
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