# NASA's Psyche switches to its backup propellant line after a valve fault halts thrusting

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/nasa-s-psyche-switches-to-its-backup-propellant-line-after-a-valve-d6af6e71
Date: 28 May 2025
About: [NASA](https://technooptimist.io/companies/nasa.md) · [Psyche](https://technooptimist.io/spaceflight/psyche.md)
Original source: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2025/05/28/nasas-psyche-spacecraft-using-backup-fuel-line

Engineers paused Psyche's four electric thrusters in early April 2025 after a drop in xenon pressure, and traced it to a part inside one valve blocking the flow. The spacecraft switched to an identical backup propellant line, which is working as expected.

## Key facts

- The backup line's valve will be kept open to avoid a repeat.
- Thrusting was set to resume by mid-June 2025.
- No change to the August 2029 arrival at the asteroid.

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