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Psyche Spacecraft Snaps Distant Earth–Moon Portrait During Instrument Checkout

The long-exposure images served as a calibration step to confirm the spacecraft’s cameras are performing to spec before it studies the metal-rich asteroid.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
NASA's Psyche orbiter looked back and snapped a photo of Earth with the moon on its way to the asteroid Psyche in 2029.
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Overview

  • Psyche captured Earth and the Moon on July 20 and 23 from about 180 million miles (290 million kilometers) away, with both bodies appearing as points against the constellation Aries.
  • The photos used twin multispectral cameras with filters and telescopic lenses to validate spectral measurements needed to map the asteroid’s surface composition.
  • In the same late-July session, teams exercised the magnetometer and the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, with managers reporting that systems are working well.
  • The spacecraft remains on a spiral trajectory targeting a Mars gravity-assist flyby in May 2026 and an arrival at asteroid Psyche in 2029.
  • A xenon propellant pressure drop discovered in April was addressed by switching to a backup fuel line, and thruster operations have resumed.