The Psyche Multispectral Imager Flight Software Interface

The Psyche mission will visit the unique metal-rich asteroid of the same name, (16) Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Launched in October of 2023, Psyche seeks to gain valuable insight into the formation of planets by exploring what may be an exposed nickel-iron core of an early planetesimal, similar to our own Earth's core. The Psyche science instruments consist of a Multispectral Imager, two Magnetometers mounted in a gradiometer configuration, and a Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer. The mission is led by Arizona State University, which also leads the Psyche Multispectral Imager investigation. The Psyche Multispectral Imager is an imaging system designed to capture geologic, compositional, and topographic data of the (16) Psyche asteroid. In addition to mapping, Imager data will be used to characterize the relative ages of surface regions, understand the impact, tectonic, and gradational processes on the asteroid's surface, and provide geologic context for the measurements made by other instruments - all valuable for understanding if (16) Psyche is a planetary core. Due to the Imager's specific operational needs and functional capabilities, the spacecraft-to-instrument flight software module needed to be designed with a unique approach in the context of the Psyche mission instruments. The spacecraft management of instrument data transfer, the ability to interrupt long-duration commands, and hardware sun-safety concerns created special cases for spacecraft-to-instrument communication not present with the other Psyche science instruments. These cases required a modified software architecture and supplemental testing for full verification and validation of the Imager interface. This paper discusses how the Imager's special cases were accommodated within Psyche flight software and the strategies used for the instrument test campaign.