Psyche Mission

Psyche mission fires lasers at Earth from 16 million kilometres away, successfully demonstrating the future of communication in space.

Launched by - NASA in 2023.
Aim – To study the metallic asteroid called ‘16 Psyche’, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Type- Orbiter
Mission – By 2029, the spacecraft will begin exploring the asteroid and will spend about 2 years orbiting the asteroid.
It will take pictures, map the surface, and collect data to determine Psyche’s composition.

Psyche was discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. It is sometimes referred to as 16 Psyche.

Scientific instruments – Multispectral Imager, Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer, Magnetometer, Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC).
It uses solar electric propulsion and communicates with Earth through the Deep Space Network (DSN) of NASA.
Significance – It will help to unlock the secrets of planets formation and evolution.

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) – Psyche Mission

It is a new laser communication technology that encodes data in photons at near-infrared wavelengths (rather than radio waves) to communicate between a probe in deep space and Earth.
Using light instead of radio allows the spacecraft to communicate more data in a given amount of time.
It is planned for the 1^st 2 years of the spacecraft’s cruise and so it does not relay Psyche mission data to earth.

Optical communications have been demonstrated previously in Low-Earth Orbit and even to the Moon but DSOC of Psyche mission is NASA’s 1^st test between Earth and distances far exceeding the Moon (deep space).

Significance – If proven successful, it will may pave the way for broadband communications that will help support humans when sent to Mars.

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