The Psyche launch<\/a> was previously scheduled for 5 October, but will now take flight a week later on 12 October. A Falcon Heavy rocket will have an instantaneous launch window that day from Kennedy Space Center\u2019s Launch Complex 39A.<\/p>\n NASA said the delay will give engineers more time to verify the parameters used for nitrogen cold-gas thrusters that orient the spacecraft.<\/p>\n The parameters of the thrusters required changes after engineers concluded that the thrusters would operate at warmer temperatures than previously predicted.<\/p>\n \u201cOperating the thrusters within temperature limits is essential to ensure the long-term health of the units,\u201d NASA said in a statement about the Psyche launch delay.<\/p>\n They also added that the verification work involves running simulations and making adjustments to flight parameters and procedures.<\/p>\n At a briefing on 6 September, project officials said they were working with no issues with the spacecraft, making no mention at the time of any concerns about the Psyche launch\u2019s cold-gas thrusters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important that we get this right. These thrusters aren\u2019t the main propulsion system, but they matter, especially right after launch, and we want to make sure we are using them in a very robust way when they are needed,\u201d said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.<\/p>\n She added: \u201cWe are confident the team is on track to mitigate this concern, and we look forward to our launch in two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n The Psyche launch is a NASA mission<\/a> that will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.<\/p>\nThe gas thrusters are crucial to the launch\u2019s success<\/h3>\n
What are the aims of the Psyche launch?<\/h3>\n