NASA

NASA's Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room on June 26, 2023.

After a day's delay, NASA’s Psyche mission has launched on Friday.

The original launch was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But now the Arizona State University-led mission is on its way to a metal-rich asteroid discovered in 1852.

SpaceX launched the spacecraft into an overcast midmorning sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Named for the asteroid it’s chasing, Psyche should reach the huge, potato-shaped object in 2029.

The autonomous spacecraft will go 2.2 million miles away to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists hope the asteroid will help further the research into planetary formation.

“It's so thrilling,” said Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Added Arizona State University's Jim Bell, part of the Psyche team: “What a great ride so far.”

An hour later, the spacecraft separated successfully from the rocket's upper stage and floated away, drawing applause from ground controllers.

After decades of visiting faraway worlds of rock, ice and gas, NASA is psyched to pursue one coated in metal. Of the nine or so metal-rich asteroids discovered so far, Psyche is the biggest, orbiting the sun in the outer portion of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter alongside millions of other space rocks. It was discovered in 1852 and named after Greek mythology’s captivating goddess of the soul.

“It’s long been humans’ dream to go to the metal core of our Earth. I mean, ask Jules Verne,” lead scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University said ahead of the launch.