NASA’s Psyche Probe to Leave a Unique Blue Trail Across Space

Ion thrusters work by using strong electric voltages to create a special kind of matter called plasma, which is like the fourth state of matter. Then, they shoot out ions into space. NASA’s Dawn mission used these thrusters to reach the dwarf planet Ceres, but they’re not super speedy.

In fact, it would take the spacecraft about four days just to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour. So, they’re not built for racing!

Now, Hall thrusters work a bit differently. They use a magnetic field to make electrons go in a circle, creating a stream of ions. They might not be as fuel-efficient as ion thrusters, but they have more power.

The Psyche team chose this system because it allowed them to build a smaller and more budget-friendly spacecraft.

To make these thrusters go, the spaceship needs two things: power from the sun, which it gets through solar panels, & something to turn into ions.

For Psyche, that’s xenon gas. Xenon is the best choice because it doesn’t react with the spacecraft’s other parts, and it’s easy to turn into ions. Plus, it’s what gives the thrusters their cool blue glow.

Psyche carries about 150 gallons of xenon and can travel about 10 million miles for every gallon of it.

Now that the mission is in motion, the team will spend the next 100 days making sure all the spaceship’s systems are working perfectly for the journey. During this time, those shiny blue thrusters will come to life.

If everything goes well with Psyche, we might see more missions using Hall thrusters in the future. They offer a great balance of saving money, being efficient, and having power.

Steven Scott, who manages the Psyche mission at the company Maxar (which made the thrusters), says they could be a big help for future missions to Mars and other places.

Thanks to these cool engines, Psyche should reach the asteroid belt in just 3.5 years, and we’re excited to discover what’s waiting at the end of its electric blue path.