NASA Investigating Propulsion Issue on Psyche Spacecraft, Mission Still Stable
Washington, D.C. — April 30, 2025 — NASA is investigating a technical issue involving the electric propulsion system on its Psyche spacecraft, though mission leaders stress that the problem does not currently pose a threat to the timeline or success of the mission.
In a statement quietly released on April 29, NASA disclosed that the electric thrusters on the Psyche spacecraft automatically shut down on April 1 due to a pressure drop in the xenon propellant line, which feeds fuel to the spacecraft’s Hall effect thrusters.
Pressure Loss Temporarily Halts Thruster Activity
According to the agency, the xenon line’s pressure dropped from 36 psi (248 kPa) to 26 psi (179 kPa), triggering a safety shutdown of the thrusters. Details about the rate or cause of the pressure drop have not yet been made public.
The Psyche mission launched aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket in October 2023 and had successfully activated its thrusters in May 2024. It is expected to perform a gravity-assist flyby of Mars in May 2026 and arrive at the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in August 2029.
NASA Confirms Spacecraft Stability
During an April 30 presentation to the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, Louise Prockter, director of NASA’s planetary science division, said engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are actively diagnosing the issue.
“The JPL team is doing a great job narrowing down the exact fault,” said Prockter. “At this point, we’re not concerned, but we’re closely monitoring developments.”
NASA noted that the spacecraft can continue coasting until mid-June without impacting its trajectory. The team may switch to a backup propellant line if necessary, as the system was designed with redundancy to handle such anomalies.
Mission Delays and Cost Increases
Though operating well since launch, the Psyche mission previously experienced software-related delays, which pushed the launch from its original August 2022 window and increased the total cost from $1 billion to $1.2 billion.
A subsequent internal review linked the delay to broader challenges at JPL, including overload from multiple missions and communication breakdowns within the institution.
Despite the recent propulsion hiccup, NASA remains confident in the Psyche mission’s trajectory and long-term goals. If resolved promptly, the incident is unlikely to affect the planned arrival at the asteroid in 2029.
