Exploring space like never before

NASA launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft to explore Europa, an ocean moon orbiting Jupiter.

Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission and launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Replay the launch above right here on our website.

Europa is one of the most promising places in our solar system to find an environment suitable for life beyond Earth. Evidence suggests that the ocean beneath Europa’s icy surface could contain the ingredients for life: water, the right chemistry and energy. While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will answer key questions about the moon’s potential habitability.

Learn more about Europa Clipper on NASA’s website.

View images of Europa Clipper at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Psyche mission logo

An illustration of the Psyche spacecraft
A NASA engineer building the Psyche spacecraft
Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the Principal Investigator

Psyche Mission: First to Metal, an Origin Story

Join us on an exciting journey into the mysteries of Earth’s metallic core as we embark on a deep-space expedition!



In collaboration with scientists from Arizona State University, NASA launched a spacecraft destined for the enigmatic asteroid Psyche. This celestial body is believed to hold the key to understanding the predominantly metal cores of ancient objects from the early days of our solar system.

In a special program about the mission, we unveil the sophisticated cameras and cutting-edge instruments aboard the spacecraft. Moreover, we delve into the personal and scientific challenges that the dedicated team has encountered in their relentless pursuit of launching this groundbreaking mission.

An illustration of the Psyche asteroid
The Psyche mission spacecraft being built by NASA engineers
NASA engineers working on the Psyche spacecraft
NASA engineers working on the Psyche spacecraft

The Mission

Arizona State University (ASU) launched a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission to visit Psyche, an asteroid currently orbiting the sun from the outer part of the main asteroid belt.

NASA’s Psyche mission, led by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, is using solar-electric propulsion to arrive at Psyche in 2026 after a Mars gravity assist. It aims to study and map the asteroid for 21 months.

What makes Psyche unique is its composition, which scientists believe may be rich in metal. If that is indeed the case, the Psyche mission will represent the first time scientists have ever been able to study a world made not of rock or ice, but of metal.

Learn more about this enigmatic asteroid.

Read NASA’s recent update on Psyche’s status and location.

ASU News highlights a free online course on asteroids, comets and meteorites.

The Special

The Psyche launch, the first ASU-led deep-space mission, took place on Friday, October 13, 2023. Ahead of the launch, Arizona PBS partnered with ASU on a half-hour television special, exploring the significance of this project and detailing the mission timeline, from launch to arrival to closeout.

“Psyche Mission: First to Metal, an Origin Story” is available to stream below, online on the PBS app or catch the replay of the launch on our YouTube channel.

The Principal Investigator

Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Arizona State University Foundation and Regents Professor in the School Of Earth and Space Exploration, is the Principal Investigator of the Psyche mission, a nearly six-year journey to a metal-rich asteroid.

Her team began working on the Psyche mission in 2017. It was the first ASU-led deep-space mission.

Her previous research includes theory, observation, and experiments concerning terrestrial planetary formation, magma oceans, and subsequent planetary evolution including magmatism and interactions between rocky planets and their atmospheres. She also promotes and participates in education initiatives, in particular, inquiry and exploration teaching methodologies, and leadership and team-building for scientists and engineers.

She has led four field expeditions in Siberia, as well as participated in fieldwork in the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

She serves on the Standing Review Board for the Europa mission, and served on the Mars panel of the Planetary Decadal Survey and on the Mars 2020 Rover Science Definition Team.

Follow a series of mission activity tweets from Psyche Principal Investigator (PI) Lindy Elkins-Tanton at #PI_Daily.

 

 
An illustration of the Psyche spacecraft approaching the asteroid
LINDY ELKINS-TANTON
Psyche spacecraft solar array being built by scientists
A graphic reading: Dive into Space Week with out-of-this-world adventures