Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Psyche spacecraft embarked on a six-year journey to an exceptional metal-covered asteroid last Friday. Marking the first exploration of its kind, this metallic asteroid is vastly different from the conventional rock or ice counterparts that typically encrust these celestial bodies.
Scientists surmise that this unique asteroid might bear the scars of a primordial planet’s core. If this supposition is proven accurate, valuable insights could be gleaned – from the cryptic core of our home planet to the concealed centers of other rocky celestial bodies.
Despite the Friday morning overcast blanketing the sky, SpaceX successfully catapulted the spacecraft into the cosmic realm. The spacecraft – bearing the name of the asteroid it pursues, Psyche – is projected to rendezvous with the enormous, irregularly-shaped celestial body in 2029.
An eventful hour post-launch, rapturous applause resounded from ground controllers as Psyche disengaged from the rocket’s upper stage and sailed further into the great abyss. This engendered an exuberant response from both Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Professor Jim Bell from Arizona State University.
NASA’s interest in Psyche springs from its unique compositional difference compared to other asteroids – it’s caked in metal. Of all metallic asteroids discovered, Psyche is the largest, orbiting the sun in the main asteroid belt sandwiched between Mars and Jupiter. This space rock, veiled in the mythological elegance of the Greek goddess of the soul, invites intrigue with its mystery.
Lead scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University reminded us that human desire to delve into the depths of the Earth’s core is not a new fascination. However, with conventional technology, the task proves to be a perilous impossibility due to the extreme heat and pressure conditions. Despite these substrata hardships, Psyche offers an alternative route to observing a metal core, thus paving the path for a potentially groundbreaking discovery.
The massive asteroid, approximately 144 miles across at its widest and 173 miles long, is believed to contain an abundance of iron, nickel, and possibly silicates. Its gray surface appears dull but could very well be peppered with tiny metal grains, remnants of cosmic collisions.
However, the precise nature of Psyche remains unknown until the spacecraft reels in the 2 billion-mile journey to finally encounter it. A myriad of possibilities awaits scientists; spiky metal craters, looming cliffs and an intriguing mesh of metal and sulfur-tinted eroded lava flows. Trace amounts of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum or iridium could also be nestled within the asteroid’s iron and nickel core.
The Psyche asteroid is considered a surviving fragment from the dawn of our solar system, giving it the potential to unveil answers to long-standing questions concerning the origins of life and the habitability of Earth.
The spacecraft is designed to travel an indirect path to reach the asteroid. Piggybacking on Mars for a gravity boost in 2026, the spacecraft will arrive at Psyche in 2029, where it will attempt to solidify an orbital path around the asteroid, lasting at least until 2031.
Equipped with xenon gas-fed thrusters and an experimental communication system, the craft will test transmission of data using lasers instead of radio waves, potentially multiplying data transmission tenfold.
Despite initial delays arising from flight software testing, primarily attributed to management issues, the spacecraft has now successfully set sail on this landmark journey. Its expected arrival in 2029 aligns with another NASA spacecraft’s arrival at a different asteroid as part of a separate mission.
