Psyche (NASA)
NASA's Psyche used a Mars flyby on 15 May 2026 to head for a metal-rich asteroid it will orbit from August 2029 (NASA).
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU (PIA24473).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- Psyche is a NASA spacecraft flying to an A rocky object that orbits the Sun, much smaller than a planet. Most are in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. Glossary that might be made of a lot of metal.
- In 2026 it swung past Mars to get a speed boost.
- It gets there in 2029 and will help us learn what the center of a planet is like.
The Five W's of Psyche (NASA)
Who
NASA, with the mission led by Arizona State University and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Source: NASA, Psyche aces Mars flyby
What
An orbiter that will map asteroid Psyche, which may be the partial metal core of an early planet building block.
When
Launched 13 October 2023; Mars flyby 15 May 2026; arrival August 2029.
Where
The outer main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Why
We cannot visit Earth's own metal core, so a metal-rich asteroid is a rare window into how planets form.
Impact Statement
Agency solution · active
The Mars flyby gave Psyche a boost of about 1,000 miles per hour without using propellant. The spacecraft will spend about two years orbiting the 173-mile-wide asteroid.
Source: NASA, Psyche aces Mars flyby
For Further Information: NASA, Psyche aces Mars flyby
NASA's Psyche is flying to an asteroid that may be the leftover metal core of a baby planet.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Psyche uses solar-electric propulsion, efficient thrusters that help future missions travel farther on less fuel.
Source: NASA, Psyche aces Mars flyby
For Nature
Learning how metal cores form helps explain Earth's own core, which powers the magnetic field that protects life.
Want to go deeper? NASA has the full Psyche story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
More solutions like this one, matched by meaning.
For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is Psyche (NASA), and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind Psyche (NASA), and where does the work happen?
- How does Psyche (NASA) help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). Psyche (NASA). https://www.savingplanets.com/Psyche.html
MLA
"Psyche (NASA)." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/Psyche.html.