JPL reported on October 22, 2026 that Psyche’s near-continuous electric-propulsion cruise phase began September 28. One Hall thruster operates at a time, expelling charged xenon ions; solar arrays supply the electricity. The maximum thrust is about 250 millinewtons—comparable in force to holding an AA battery, not comparable in electric power or propulsion source. Weekly check-ins and engineering pauses occur. Summer 2029 is the reported planned rendezvous target, not a guarantee.
Sources:
- JPL — Psyche’s electric-propulsion cruise phase, October 22, 2026: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/pedal-to-the-metal-nasas-psyche-heads-toward-asteroid-belt/
- NASA/JPL — current Psyche mission telemetry page: https://space.jpl.nasa.gov/psyche_now/
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