NASA Launches Spacecraft to $10 Billion AsteroidNASA’s Psyche spacecraft blasted off on October 13th towards a metal-rich asteroid estimated to be worth a staggering $10 quadrillion, with the hope of shedding light on their formation.
The Psyche spacecraft took off aboard the Falcon Heavy rocket.
The probe took flight aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the rocket’s inaugural interplanetary mission and NASA’s first launch using Falcon Heavy. The liftoff occurred at 22:19.
The spacecraft is en route to the asteroid 16 Psyche, which is the largest among the nine known metallic asteroids in our solar system, according to NASA’s Director of Planetary Science, Nicola Fox. Measuring a colossal 280 km wide and 232 km long, Psyche dwarfs the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Scientists are uncertain about its exact appearance, but they believe its surface primarily consists of nickel and iron, with an estimated value of $10 quadrillion. This asteroid is believed to be the core of an ancient protoplanet. Researchers are hopeful that a thorough examination of this metallic celestial body will provide valuable insights into the planetary formation process.
The spacecraft is expected to rendezvous with 16 Psyche in July 2029. On its journey, it will leverage the gravitational pull of Mars as it whizzes past the red planet in May 2026 to accelerate its speed. After covering a distance of 3.5 billion kilometers, Psyche will enter the asteroid’s orbit and spend about a month verifying systems and making adjustments in preparation for its mission. Starting in August 2029, Psyche will dedicate 21 months to mapping and analyzing the asteroid’s surface.
(Source: Space)