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 IEPC-2024-158

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 presents the first comprehensive account of the system-level verification and validation (V&V) campaign for the Psyche mission, building on prior subsystem-focused reports. The major mission achievements include: (1) successful demonstration of interplanetary Hall thruster operations, (2) the design of a multi-venue V&V strategy that combined hardware and simulation approaches within the resources and risk profile of a Discovery-class mission and (3) organizational lessons from adapting test campaigns under COVID-19 constraints. 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.