Psyche (/ˈsaɪki/ SY-kee) is a NASA space mission launched on October 13, 2023 to explore the origin of planetary cores by orbiting and studying the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche beginning in 2029. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages the project. The spacecraft will not land on the asteroid, but will orbit it from August 2029 through late 2031.