Psyche: SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy Vertical at LC 39A

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft stands tall atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. Liftoff of the mission to the asteroid Psyche is targeted for 10:16 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 12. The spacecraft also is hosting a technology demonstration, NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), which will be the first test of laser communications beyond the Moon. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, is responsible for the insight and approval of the launch vehicle and manages the launch service for the Psyche mission.