NASA spacecraft, Psyche, propelled by a reusable SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, departed from the Kennedy Space Center on a mission to 16 Psyche, an intriguing celestial body, believed to be either the remnants of a small planet or an entirely new celestial entity not previously known to science.
The launch took place at 10:19 am Eastern Time (1419 GMT).
Scientific significance
Mission to 16 Psyche aims to uncover new knowledge about how celestial bodies navigate the solar system, interact with each other, and contribute to the evolution of our solar system.
Asteroid 16 Psyche is distinct because it has a metal surface, a characteristic not found on other celestial objects explored either in person or robotically.
Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the lead scientist, highlighted the significance of this mission as the first time humanity explored a world with a metal surface.
Mission objectives
The spacecraft will reach its destination in the Asteroid Belt, positioned between Mars and Jupiter, in July 2029. Over a span of two years, it will employ advanced instruments to investigate 16 Psyche for traces of an ancient magnetic field and scrutinise its chemical composition, mineral makeup, and topography.
Scientists speculate that 16 Psyche might be a part of the iron-nickel core of a “planetesimal,” a fundamental building block of rocky planets, exposed after an ancient collision. Alternatively, it could be a unique and undocumented object from the early solar system.
The mission integrates solar electric propulsion through “Hall-effect thrusters” that use solar panel energy to create electric and magnetic fields, expelling charged xenon gas atoms. In space, the spacecraft continuously accelerates to velocities reaching tens of thousands of miles per hour.
The mission includes technological advancements, such as next-generation communications using lasers for enhanced data transmission. Deep Space Optical Communications is designed to demonstrate vastly improved data-return capabilities compared to current radio systems used in space.
The Psyche mission stands as a pioneering endeavour to explore a celestial body with a metal surface, providing the potential to enhance our understanding of planetary formation and composition.