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‘Clues to planet formation may lie within the metal-rich space rock.’
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has successfully launched and embarked on a six-year, 2.2-billion-mile journey to study a unique asteroid. The asteroid, also called Psyche, is believed to be the remnant core of a small planet from the early days of the Solar System. Scientists hope that studying this iron- and nickel-rich asteroid will provide insights into the formation of planets, including Earth.
The uncrewed Psyche spacecraft lifted off on Friday at 10:19 AM ET aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After separating from the rocket, ground controllers established communication with the spacecraft, which is reported to be in good health. The mission had experienced multiple delays before finally launching.
Psyche (the asteroid) orbits the sun in the region between Mars and Jupiter. Researchers estimate that it consists of 30 to 60 percent nickel-iron core, making it a rare opportunity to study a possible planetary core. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the mission’s principal investigator, stated that the data suggests the asteroid is more than half metal. She added, “We’re really going to see a kind of new object, which means that a lot of our ideas are going to be proven wrong.”
Over the next six years, the spacecraft will travel to Psyche and then spend 26 months in orbit around the asteroid. It will utilize various instruments to study the asteroid, including cameras for close-up observations, a magnetometer to search for traces of an ancient magnetic field, a gamma-ray spectrometer to detect high-energy gamma rays and neutrons, and a radio antenna to map the asteroid’s gravity.
The mission also includes a demonstration of NASA’s deep space laser communications, a technology that could significantly increase the bandwidth for future space exploration. Dr. Prasun Desai, Associate Administrator (Acting), STMD at NASA HQ, expressed excitement about the insights that will be gained from this experimental communications method.
In conclusion, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has successfully launched on a mission to study the metal-rich Psyche asteroid. This six-year journey will provide scientists with valuable information about planetary formation and test innovative technologies for future space exploration.