Takeoff imminent! The Psyche probe will be launched towards the eponymous asteroid: (16) Psyche, an object approximately 230 km in diameter and composed mainly of metal, largely iron and nickel.
Seen as a planetary core
Metallic asteroids appeared very early in the history of the solar system, when planets were beginning to form. These are actually cores of protoplanets whose rocky outer layers were expelled during a collision with another asteroid or planetesimal. Real balls of molten metal when they were born, they would then have quickly cooled.
(16) Psyche undoubtedly belongs to this class, but specialists do not exclude that it could be even more astonishing and other hypotheses are considered as to its origin.
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Psyche is located in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, approximately 400 million kilometers from Earth. The probe will take nearly six years to reach its destination. To carry out this journey, Psyche will benefit from the gravitational assistance of the planet Mars, which it will approach in May 2026.
Arrival in orbit around the asteroid is planned for August 2029; the Psyche probe will remain captive of the star until November 2031, at least.
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Launch to follow live
The NASA probe will be launched using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. This will be the first time that this launcher will be used for such a distant mission and its behavior will also be carefully scrutinized.
The launch will be carried out from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, in the presence of a few rare guests. But for the occasion, the American space agency is offering everyone the opportunity to become a “virtual host” and follow the launch in a privileged way by directly receiving various information on the mission. For that it is necessary register online.
2023-10-11 00:38:51
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