2023-10-16 03:47:00
The National Astronomical Research Institute’s page posted that on October 13, 2023 at 9:19 p.m. (Thailand time) NASA’s #Psyche spacecraft rose into space using a Falcon Heavy rocket. (SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy) from its launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. in Florida in the United States It marks the start of Psyche’s 3.5 billion km long journey to the spacecraft’s namesake metallic target asteroid. Orbiting in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, Psyche was NASA’s first solar system probe, launched aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. Within two and a half minutes of starting rocket launch The side section of the Falcon Heavy rocket had stopped working. before separating and landing on the coast of Florida. and at a time of 4 minutes after the rocket was launched The Falcon Heavy’s first main stage stopped working and separated from the second stage, which was responsible for sending Psyche into space. The final rocket segment separated from Psyche 62 minutes after launch. The craft spent about an hour unfolding its solar panels. The length of the spacecraft is about the length of a tennis court. Psyche is also the first NASA solar system probe to be equipped with an electric propulsion system. that were originally produced from solar panels Psyche was scheduled to launch in October 2022, but NASA delayed plans due to problems with the spacecraft’s software. Therefore, the rocket launch date was postponed to October 5, 2023, and there was a problem with the heat control system in the craft’s cold gas engine. Until it was postponed to October 12, but because of unfavorable weather conditions Therefore, the rocket launch schedule had to be postponed to the next day. The Psyche spacecraft aims to explore “Asteroid Psyche” (official name: 16 Psyche), which is the largest metallic asteroid in the solar system, measures approximately 278 x 232 x 164 kilometers. Scientists do not know much about this asteroid. But the surface of this asteroid was found to be made up mostly of iron and nickel. And scientists speculate that this metallic asteroid was once the “core” of material that would eventually form planets. (protoplanet) Scientists hope that closer study of the asteroid Psyche will help to better understand the formation and evolution of planets. The spacecraft will enter orbit around the Sun on its way to Worth visiting the asteroid Psyche It will pass near Mars in May 2026 to adjust its trajectory and speed. Before reaching the asteroid Psyche in July 2029, when it reaches the target asteroid The spacecraft will enter orbit around this asteroid. Inspect and prepare equipment before starting the survey of Asteroid Psyche in August 2029, mapping and analyzing the asteroid’s surface over a period of approximately 21 months.
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