Psyche asteroid orbiter

Asteroid 16 Psyche is one of the largest metal-rich bodies in the main belt, estimated at 30-60% iron and nickel by volume. Scientists have long hypothesized it may be the exposed core of an early planetesimal stripped of its rocky mantle by giant impacts in the young solar system - offering a direct look at material analogous to the deep interiors of terrestrial planets, otherwise inaccessible to study. The spacecraft carries a multispectral imager, magnetometer, and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer to characterize the surface. It is also the first interplanetary mission to use Hall-effect thrusters as primary propulsion, and carries NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment - the first test of laser-based data links beyond the Earth-Moon system. Arrival at 16 Psyche is expected in August 2029.

The first Falcon Heavy launch dedicated to a NASA planetary science mission, and the 14th in the agency's Discovery Program.