NASA launches Psyche mission destined for asteroid 2 billion miles away

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX launched its Psyche mission on Friday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

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The Psyche mission will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name, located between Mars and Jupiter in the main asteroid belt.

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This is NASA’s first mission to study an asteroid with more metal than rock or ice.

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The spacecraft will travel about 2.2 billion miles during its nearly six-year journey, and If all goes as planned, asteroid Psyche’s gravity will capture the spacecraft in late July 2029.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and as they return, many could hear double sonic booms Friday.

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Stay with Eyewitness News for updates on the launch and live coverage on wftv.com.

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The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on February 6, 2018 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket is the most powerful rocket in the world and is carrying a Tesla Roadster into orbit.

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