NASA engineers have successfully switched to a backup fuel line on the Psyche spacecraft, resolving a recent issue with decreasing fuel pressure in the propulsion system. The team had paused the four electric thrusters in April after detecting an unexpected drop in pressure and found a mechanical problem with one of the valves. A part inside the valve was obstructing the flow of xenon gas to the thrusters.
The backup line, identical to the primary propellant line, has been activated to ensure continued operation. The spacecraft’s thrusters will resume firing by mid-June once the backup system is fully operational. Engineers plan to keep the backup line’s valve open to prevent future mechanical issues.
Despite this setback, Psyche remains on track to reach asteroid Psyche in August 2029. Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in October 2023, the spacecraft has already traveled 628 million miles (1 billion kilometers). A flyby of Mars is planned for May 2026, using the planet’s gravity as a slingshot to accelerate the spacecraft towards its destination.
Source: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2025/05/28/nasas-psyche-spacecraft-using-backup-fuel-line