NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid

NASA says it is reviving its mission to explore a giant space rock in the Asteroid Belt after disappointing setbacks.

The core of an ancient planet is thought to be the part of the Asteroid Bet that is known as 16 Psyche. Psyche's size isn't what intrigues scientists so much as its metal rich composition, which is thought to be worth $10 quintillion, easily exceeding the worth of the Earth's entire economy. They're not interested in the metal's monetary value but its planetary origins.

Back On Track

NASA missed its launch window that closed on October 11 due to a persistent flight software issue that began in August and continued until October.

NASA decided to go ahead with the mission after surviving an independent review that determined whether the mission should be scrapped or continued.

Laurie Leshin is the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Significant progress has already been made towards the launch date. I am confident in the plan and excited by the science that will come back.

Although the new launch date is only a little over a year late, the expected arrival at the asteroid Psyche is set back by over three years due to having to wait for another chance to slingshot off of Mars' gravity.

Peering Into a Planet

The asteroid will be probed with an array of instruments, including a multispectral imager and a magnetometer, once it arrives.

Scientists hope to find out if the asteroid is the core of a planetesimal. It could prove to be a great opportunity to understand the interior of our own planet.

There is a plan to fix the moon rocket.