Team 19F17

Disclaimer
This work was created in partial fulfillment of Northern Arizona University Capstone Course “ME 476C-ME 486C″. The work is a result of the Psyche Student Collaborations component of NASA’s Psyche Mission (https://psyche.asu.edu). “Psyche: A Journey to a Metal World” [Contract number NNM16AA09C] is part of the NASA Discovery Program mission to solar system targets. Trade names and trademarks of ASU and NASA are used in this work for identification only. Their usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by Arizona State University or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of ASU or NASA.

NASA Psyche Mission: Robotic Explorer

(16) Psyche: A Hypothesized Planet Core Asteroid

Psyche Mission Objective

In 1852, Annibale de Gasparis discovered (16) Psyche, during the Spring.The (16) Psyche asteroid is located between Mars and Jupiter. The perimeter of the surface is about 439.8 Miles around. The surface area is roughly 61,575 Miles. The mission’s goal is, primarily, to determine whether Psyche is indeed the core of a planet-size object. The Psyche mission will be the first mission to investigate a world of metal rather than of rock and ice.

The orbital rotation of (16) Psyche is roughly 5 Earth Years, with it's daytime lasting only 4.2 hrs. The hypothesized mass is about 1% of the Moon's Mass. The average distance from the Sun is approximately 2.5 to 3.3 AU. The leadong theory on the composition of (16) Psyche is that of a planet's exposed core, after violent impacts during the forming of our galaxy.

Psyche is an asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and is estimated to be made of iron or nickel based on its density (4000 kg/m3). The size of the asteroid is 173 x 144 x 117 mi. Our team has been tasked to create a rover capable of traversing the hypothesized terrain of the (16) Psyche asteroid. The general condition of the surface of Psyche is thought to be a rocky, metallic terrain. This terrain is supposedly comprised of fissures, large rocks, and regolith. [2]

Psyche Mission Timeline

2022 A.D.

Launch Scientific Satellites destined for (16) Psyche

Survey satellites launch on a 4 year journey to (16) Psyche. The Psyche spacecraft departs from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The scientific objects are to determine whether Psyche is a core, or if it is unmelted material. Determine whether Psyche is a core, or if it is unmelted material. Characterize Psyche's topography.

2026 A.D.

Arrival at (16) Psyche of Survey Satellites

Survey satellites arrive at (16) Psyche and will attempt to enter orbit around the asteroid. The Psyche mission will test a sophisticated new laser communication technology that encodes data in photons (rather than radio waves) to communicate between a probe in deep space and Earth.

2026 - 2027

Psyche Spacecraft orbits the Psyche asteroid

For 21 months the orbitting satellites will gather data by mapping and studying Psyche's properties. [3] The hypotheical rover designed for the NASA Psyche Mission would need to traverse an asteroid surface which little is known about, or confirmed. The data from the orbitting satellites will have a large impact on any hypothetical rover design.

The Future

Earliest Hypothetical arrival at (16) Psyche for Robotic Explorer

Once the Robotic Explorer successfully lands on Psyche it will begin collecting core samples and relaying the information back to NASA. Sampling from various terrains throughout Psyche will supply the most thorough data. It is unlikely the rover will return to Earth so all data needs to be transmitted.