Achieving Mission Success: A Comprehensive Look at the Verification and Validation Approach for the Psyche Mission – the First Demonstration of Hall Thrusters in Interplanetary Space

On October 13, 2023, the Psyche spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard a Falcon Heavy Rocket, marking the first use of SPT-140 Hall thrusters for interplanetary propulsion, supported by a cold gas system for launch separation, faulted conditions, and counterbalancing the momentum of the electric propulsion thrusters. This paper explores the system-level verification and validation campaign, covering spacecraft integration, environmental testing, launch and cruise validation, and flight operations transition. The test program had to balance the use of flight, engineering, and simulation models, particularly in closed-loop guidance, navigation, and control testing. The paper details the mission operations validation approach, addressing challenges in hardware-software compatibility and the unique demands of a low-thrust, electric propulsion deep-space mission.