LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Fri Oct 13 2023

SpaceX

Psyche & EscaPADE

Launch Successful

LAUNCH PREVIEW

Launch Time

(2:19 PM UTC)

Launch Window Start

(2:19 PM UTC)

Launch Window End

(2:19 PM UTC)

RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

Falcon Heavy

Description:

The Falcon Heavy is a variant of the Falcon 9 full thrust launch vehicle and consists of a standard Falcon 9 rocket core, with two additional boosters derived from the Falcon 9 first stage.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Planetary Science
Psyche is a NASA interplanetary mission to visit the main belt asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche. Spacecraft will take 4 years and one Mars flyby to reach the asteroid, which is of particular interest due to being comprised mostly of iron and nickel. Psyche is theorized to be a remnant of an early planet's core, and may offer insights into how solar system formed and evolved. The mission is led by Arizona State University, with NASA JPL being responsible for mission management and operations. This launch also includes a secondary payload: Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE), which will study the Martian atmosphere.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Pad

Launch Complex 39A