NASA to send spacecraft to $10 quintillion asteroid

The celestial body consists entirely of gold, nickel and iron.





NASA engineers moved on to the final preparation of the space ship to be sent to the main pearl of the solar system - an asteroid "(16) Psyche". Launch of the Psyche apparatus using a super-heavy rocket SpaceX Falcon Heavy will take place on October 5 this year.

The asteroid is located four billion kilometers from Earth. According to scientists, the device will reach the space object in no time. earlier than 6 years later. Psyche revolves around the asteroid belt (the region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) and has a diameter of approximately 279 kilometers. At the same time, it occupies approximately 1% of the mass of all objects in the belt asteroids.



Approximately this is the main "pearl" of the solar system.

Asteroid "(16) Psyche" was discovered in 1852 Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis. Only recently have scientists realized how valuable (both economically and scientifically) maybe this space object.

Observations of the asteroid led to the conclusion that a space object is a remnant of the core of an unformed planet (or destroyed by a collision with another object) of the times of formation solar system, and it's made entirely of iron, nickel, and gold.

Scientists have previously noted that the cost of an asteroid is estimated cosmic numbers - at least 10 quintillion dollars.

If we could get our hands on such a huge piece space, it would be worth more than the combined world economy, roughly 10 quintillion dollars





Spacecraft Psyche.

But for scientists, the main value of the asteroid is that researchers will finally be able to see what the core looks like our planet and study its shape, structure and properties. On earth with this cannot be done with existing technologies - the earth's core is being studied using seismic surveys. And scientists say it's about the same the same thing as trying to reconstruct an animal buried under the rubble only with x-rays.

Of course, about cutting or transporting an asteroid closer to The earth is out of the question. But do the research and take over one of the most valuable space objects in the solar system for the future, maybe NASA can do it. If the device, of course, will fly. unmanned the mission to the asteroid was planned to be sent back in 2022, but due to technical problems it did not take place.