NASA's Psyche mission is facing propulsion challenges due to a pressure drop in the xenon gas line supplying thrust to the spacecraft. The issue, detected in April, caused the spacecraft to shut down its solar electric thrusters. Engineers are actively investigating this decline in pressure and have a backup line option to restore thrust. The probe is on a journey to orbit the metallic asteroid Psyche, with a planned arrival in 2029 and a timeline pressing for resolution by mid-June to prevent trajectory complications.
Engineers are currently analyzing the pressure drop that caused the Psyche spacecraft's thrusters to shut off, with potential solutions before trajectory is affected.
The Psyche mission, critical for understanding metallic asteroids, relies on solar electric propulsion which is currently hampered by a drop in xenon gas pressure.
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