NASA is currently investigating a problem with the electric propulsion system on its Psyche asteroid spacecraft. However, a NASA official has stated that the issue is not currently considered a major concern.
In an announcement posted on a NASA website on April 29, but not widely publicized until April 30, NASA reported that the electric thrusters on the Psyche spacecraft shut down on April 1 due to a pressure drop in the xenon propellant line. The pressure decreased from 36 pounds per square inch (248 kilopascals) to 26 pounds per square inch (179 kilopascals), causing the thrusters to cease operation. Further details about the rate of pressure drop and the specific problem remain undisclosed.
The Psyche mission, launched in October 2023, aims to explore the main belt asteroid Psyche. The spacecraft activated its Hall effect thrusters in May 2024. These thrusters, coupled with a Mars flyby in May 2026, are crucial for its planned arrival at Psyche in August 2029.
Louise Prockter, director of NASA’s planetary science division, addressed the issue at a Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group meeting on April 30. She confirmed that JPL teams are actively investigating the problem: “The team at JPL is doing a great job figuring out exactly which part is the problem and what’s going on with that,” she said.
Both the electric propulsion system and the spacecraft bus were supplied by Maxar Space Systems. NASA assures that the Psyche spacecraft can safely coast until mid-June without significantly impacting its trajectory. Potential solutions include utilizing a backup propellant line.
Prockter further commented: “This kind of thing happens and that’s why we build redundancy into our missions. We don’t have any concerns at the moment about it but we’re obviously keeping tabs on it.”
The Psyche mission, while encountering this recent setback, previously faced development challenges including software testing delays that postponed the launch from August 2022 and increased the mission’s cost from $1 billion to $1.2 billion. Subsequent investigations linked these problems to broader institutional issues at JPL, stemming from a heavy workload and internal communication difficulties.