autoevolution
 

Here Is the Metal Asteroid Hunter NASA Is Putting Together

Come August 1, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will become the departure point for yet another unique mission in NASA’s history: one meant to look at what may be the metallic core of an early planet, in a bid to help us better understand how these floating balls of rock are formed, among others.
Psyche spacecraft 11 photos
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Psyche spacecraftPsyche spacecraftPsyche missionThe photo on the left captures an operating electric Hall thruster identical to those that will propel NASA's Psyche spacecraft, while the photo on the right shows a similar non-operating Hall thrusterNASA's Psyche spacecraft is photographed in July 2021 during the mission's assembly, test, and launch operations phaseNASA's Psyche spacecraft is photographed in July 2021 during the mission's assembly, test, and launch operations phaseNASA's Psyche spacecraft is photographed in July 2021 during the mission's assembly, test, and launch operations phaseIllustration of NASA's Psyche spacecraftNASA Psyche spacecraftPsyche asteroid
The mission is called Psyche, after the asteroid it targets. That would be a “unique metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter,” one of the first asteroids (the 16th, to be precise) to be discovered by the human race - Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis stumbled upon it all the way back in 1852. The rock is 140 miles (226 km) in diameter and is akin to an exposed nickel-iron planet core.

Psyche the spacecraft is being put together by Maxar Technologies. It is the size of a tennis court, complete with its solar panels, and packed with scientific instruments, including spectrometers, imagers, magnetometers, and, of course, a communication system.

The machine will be powered by a solar electric propulsion system, meaning it uses solar arrays to turn sunlight into electricity. Combining that with xenon used as a propellant, it should allow Psyche to travel toward its target at 124,000 miles per hour (200,000 kph).

Earlier this week, the American space agency showed the spacecraft for the first time to the public, more precisely to reporters allowed into the clean room at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where the thing is being put together. By definition, a clean room requires strict measures to prevent the contamination of the spacecraft, so everyone attending had to wipe down their equipment and wear special gear.

For all the spectacle it made of the whole thing, NASA released just two images of the Psyche as it is in the real world, and you can enjoy them in the gallery above, alongside older ones, showing the spacecraft in a less complete form.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories