Welcome to the c/SpaceX Psyche Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2023-10-13 14:19 |
|---|---|
| Scheduled for (local) | 2023-10-13 10:19 (EDT) |
| Launch site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. |
| Launch vehicle | Falcon Heavy |
| Center | 1079-1 (expended) |
| Booster | 1064-4 (RTLS) |
| Booster | 1065-4 (RTLS) |
| Customer | NASA |
| Payload | Psyche |
| Mission success criteria | Successful deployment of spacecraft into desired orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| NASA | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npIDMxrzm_o |
| Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2oTmDmpQd4 |
| NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr6XMnH_7RE |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSUN9bW0uCI |
| Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzxJv3Ekrl0 |
| SpaceX | https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1712833986865823857 |
| The Space Devs | TBD |
Stats
☑️ 4th Falcon Heavy launch this year
☑️ 8th Falcon Heavy launch all time
☑️ 11th launch from LC-39A this year
☑️ 72nd SpaceX launch this year
☑️ 286th SpaceX launch all time
☑️ 248th consecutive successful Falcon 9 / FH launch (excluding Amos-6) (if successful)
Payload info
Psyche
Psyche is an orbiter mission that will explore the origin of planetary cores by studying the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche. Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University is the Principal Investigator who proposed this mission for NASA’s Discovery Program. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will manage the project.
16 Psyche is the heaviest known M-type asteroid and is thought to be the exposed iron core of a protoplanet, the remnant of a violent collision with another object that stripped off its outer crust. Radar observations of the asteroid from Earth indicate an iron–nickel composition. On 4 January 2017, the Psyche mission was selected for NASA’s Discovery #14 mission
| Target orbit | Heliocentric Orbit |
|---|---|
| Payloads | 1 |
| Total Mass | 2600 kg |
Resources:
Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here! Also feel free to leave feedback or suggestions for the mod team. We’re still a relatively small sub, so feedback from the community is very valuable!
In the booster IDs such as 1065-4, does the “-4” indicate that this is the fourth launch for booster 1065?
Yes, both 1064 and 1065 previously supported the USSF-44, USSF-67, and Jupiter-3 missions. Psyche will be the fourth launch for these FH side boosters, and they will likely be reused for USSF-52 and Europa Clipper.
Wow thanks! It’s awesome that reusability let’s boosters have stories like this, especially in cute pairs.