NASA to send spacecraft to asteroid with $10 quintillion worth of gold
Miscellaneous / / July 24, 2023
This unique object may be the remnant of the core of an unformed planet.
NASA engineers have crossed to the final stage of preparation for the Psyche mission. Within its framework, the spacecraft will be sent to the asteroid of the same name, which is almost entirely composed of metals such as iron, nickel and gold.
The Psyche spacecraft has spent the last year at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the Kennedy Space Center. There, engineers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) worked on final assembly and testing ahead of the scheduled October 5th launch.
The device will be launched using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy super-heavy rocket and will head towards the asteroid "(16) Psyche" with a diameter of approximately 279 kilometers. This space object revolves inside asteroid belts. To get there, you will need to cover approximately 4 billion kilometers in six years.
The asteroid "(16) Psyche" is called one of the largest pearls of the solar system. Scientists have only recently realized how valuable it can be - both from an economic and scientific point of view.
Previous remote observations have led to the conclusion that the asteroid may be the remnant of the core of a failed planet during the formation of the solar system. It consists almost entirely of exposed metals.
“If we could get our hands on such a huge piece of space, it would be worth more than the combined world economy, at about 10 quintillion dollars,” previously noted scientists.
However, the real value of Psyche is a glimpse into what the core of our own planet might look like. On Earth, we are trying to determine the shape, structure, and properties of the planet's core using seismic data. It's like trying to reconstruct an elephant buried under rubble using only X-rays. Psyche will provide an unparalleled view of the core of the planet and a better understanding of how the Earth works.
In addition to this, the mission will also serve as a testing ground for technologies that could be used for crewed flights in the future. The launch itself will be Falcon Heavy's first interplanetary mission, laying the foundation for future launches to Mars.
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