NASA will launch a spacecraft to 16 Psyche, a metal-rich asteroid currently orbiting the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists believe that Psyche is largely iron and nickel, possibly even the remnant of a core of an early planet. Exploring the 140-mile-wide minor planet could lend valuable insight into how Earth and other planets formed. It could be worth over $10,000 quadrillion (1 quadrillion followed by 15 zeros). Read more for two videos and additional information.
The Psyche spacecraft will launch August 2022 and is expected to reach the targeted asteroid by 2026. Metal asteroids are relatively rare in the solar system, and scientists believe this one could be a rare opportunity to look inside a planet. Once the full spacecraft is fully assembled, the orbiter will be transported from the Spacecraft Assembly Facility to JPL’s large thermal vacuum chamber to simulate the harsh environment of deep space.
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Seeing this big spacecraft chassis arrive at JPL from Maxar is among the most thrilling of the milestones we’ve experienced on what has already been a 10-year journey. Building this complex, precision piece of engineering during the year of COVlD is absolutely a triumph of human determination and excellence,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University’s, Psyche mission principal investigator lead.
