NASA’s Psyche Mission Achieves “First Light”: Captures Initial Images and Encounters a Solar Phenomenon

Successfully launched on October 13, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has been executing space operations with efficiency, notably activating its scientific tools and setting a new benchmark using its electric thrusters. Situated millions of miles away from Earth, the spacecraft obtained its inaugural images through its dual cameras. Key achievements include the testing of instruments like a magnetometer and a gamma-ray spectrometer, and the utilization of Hall-effect thrusters for extended space travel. These developments are attributed to NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

Since its departure from Kennedy Space Center on the same date, the mission team has acknowledged numerous accomplishments. A recent highlight is the functioning of the spacecraft’s cameras.

In the two months following its Earth departure, the Psyche spacecraft has been steadily completing successful tasks. These include activating scientific instruments, sending data back to Earth, and creating a deep-space record with its electric thrusters. A notable milestone reached on Monday, December 4, was the activation of Psyche’s twin cameras, capturing the mission’s first images, an event termed as “first light.”

This array of a star field in the Pisces constellation was assembled from images acquired on December 4 by the spacecraft’s cameras. The image credits go to NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

Currently 16 million miles (26 million kilometers) from Earth, the spacecraft is en route to the asteroid Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, with an expected arrival in 2029. The team’s objective was to test all scientific instruments early in this extended journey to ensure their functionality and provide ample time for necessary calibrations and adjustments.

The imaging tool, comprising two identical cameras, captured a total of 68 images within a star field in Pisces. The imager team is utilizing this data for command verification, telemetry analysis, and image calibration.

The above image is replicated here, but with the addition of star names. The credit is given to NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

Jim Bell from Arizona State University, the lead for the Psyche imager instrument, expressed his excitement, stating, “These initial images are just the beginning.” He elaborated on the plan to test the cameras with star images, followed by capturing images of Mars during a flyby in 2026, and ultimately, the most anticipated images of the target asteroid Psyche in 2029. The team looks forward to sharing these visuals with the public.

The imager operates with multiple color filters, all of which were employed in these initial observations. These filters will allow the team to use photographs in both visible and invisible wavelengths to determine the composition of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. Additionally, the data will assist in creating 3D maps of the asteroid, enhancing the understanding of its geology and history.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will employ sensitive cameras to capture images of a previously unexplored metal-rich asteroid. Credit for this information goes to NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU.

Solar Surprise

In late October, early in the mission, the team activated the magnetometer, intended to provide essential data for understanding the asteroid’s formation. Discovering evidence of a past magnetic field would strongly suggest that the asteroid was once a core fragment of a planetesimal, a foundational component of an early planet. This information could shed light on the formation of planets, including Earth.

Shortly after activation, the magnetometer detected a solar eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection, where the Sun discharges substantial quantities of magnetized plasma. Since then, multiple such events have been observed, and the team plans to continue monitoring space weather during the spacecraft’s journey to the asteroid.

The positive outcomes are twofold: the data confirms the magnetometer’s precision in detecting minute magnetic fields, and it verifies the spacecraft’s magnetic “quietness.” The electrical currents in a probe of this scale can generate magnetic fields that might interfere with scientific measurements. However, a clearer understanding of the spacecraft’s magnetic field was obtained once it was in space, away from Earth’s dominant magnetic field.

The Psyche spacecraft contains various magnetic field sources that must be considered when measuring the magnetic signature of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The visual illustrates the complex nature of the spacecraft’s magnetic field, composed of over 200 individual sources from different subsystems and instruments. These sources include hard magnets and current loops that create variable magnetic fields, particularly in the solar array wings extending from the spacecraft. The magnetic field lines are color-coded by strength, with red indicating higher strength and blue indicating lower strength. Credit for this visualization is given to NASA/JPL-Caltech.

In the Zone

On November 8, amidst other scientific activities, the team successfully activated two of the four electric propulsion thrusters, marking a record as the first use of Hall-effect thrusters in deep space. Previously, such thrusters had only been used for missions as far as lunar orbit. Propelling the spacecraft towards the asteroid (

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Psyche Spacecraft Mission

More about Psyche Spacecraft Mission

• NASA’s Psyche Mission Overview
• Deep Space Exploration Achievements
• Solar System Research and Discoveries
• Understanding Asteroid Psyche
• Advances in Spacecraft Technology
• Solar Phenomena Observations by Psyche Mission