For the first time ever, we are
exploring a world made not of rock or ice,
but of metal.
At the launch site the team conducts an entire re-check of the spacecraft before integrating into the launch vehicle.
The spacecraft launches in August of 2022.
Once in space, the spacecraft travels using solar-electric propulsion.
It arrives at the asteroid, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, in early January of 2026.
Orbit A: Characterization.
6 Days (41 Orbits)
Orbit B: Topography.
80 Days (169 Orbits)
Orbit C: Gravity Science.
100 Days (362 Orbits)
Orbit D: Elemental Mapping.
100 Days (684 Orbits)