The value of the asteroid Psyche, orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, is estimated at $10,000 quadrillion. This giant space rock is so incredibly valuable that it is many times larger than the entire world economy. As can be understood, this created excitement among scientists and space enthusiasts.

Psyche mission will study asteroid

At the forefront of research to examine the asteroid Psyche in depth is Dr. Catherine de Clair. His research could potentially revolutionize our understanding of planetary cores and the early days of our cosmic neighborhood.

In October 2023, NASA announced that Dr. With support from de Clair and his team at Caltech, he launched the Psyche mission. This mission aims to separate fact from fiction about this unique asteroid, allowing us to peer into its mysterious core and perhaps unravel astronomical mysteries that have baffled us for centuries.

Why is asteroid Psyche so valuable?

So why all the fuss about Psyche? Composed mostly of metals (mostly iron and nickel), this asteroid stands out in a universe where most asteroids are composed of rock or ice. This composition suggests that it may be the open core of a protoplanet, an important piece of the cosmic puzzle reflecting the planet formation process.

About 200 kilometers in diameter, Psyche is located in the asteroid belt, a large ring filled with more than a million rocks that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Its metallic composition not only stimulates scientific curiosity, but also sets the tills ringing, sparking debate about the future of space exploration and resource exploitation.

A closer look at Psyche’s surface

To truly understand Psyche’s surface, the research team needed to go beyond the typical single-pixel infrared images obtained from Earth. This is where the Chile-based Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) came into play. Using ALMA’s 66 radio telescopes, the team created a detailed temperature map that gives a much clearer picture of Psyche’s nature.

According to researcher Saverio Cambioni of the California Institute of Technology, high-resolution images showed that “at least 30% of Psyche’s surface is metal.” The presence of metal grains along the rock surface was another important discovery. But as Cambioni points out, distinguishing the different types of landscapes on this asteroid is still a challenge.

Challenging existing ideas

These discoveries have raised some intriguing questions that challenge the conventional wisdom that Psyche is made entirely of metal. Dr. de Clair comments on these findings: “We have known for years that objects in this class are not actually solid metal, but what they are and how they form are still a mystery.”

The new data has led scientists to consider an alternative origin for Psyche, opening new ways to understand the processes that formed our solar system. Analysis of Psyche’s thermal inertia (the rate at which it gains or loses heat) surprised the research team by revealing interesting details about its surface properties.

They found that Psyche’s thermal radiation is only 60% of what would be expected from a standard surface with similar thermal inertia. This indicates that its surface is indeed dense or conductive and contains a significant amount of metal.

Psyche mission objectives

The Psyche spacecraft is on its way and will land at its destination in 2026. It carries an array of advanced instruments designed to study the asteroid’s surface, composition and magnetic field. The mission aims to collect enough data within 21 months to determine whether Psyche is truly the planet’s core or something completely unprecedented.

If Psyche turns out to be the exposed core of a protoplanet, it will be like peering into the heart of the Earth; So far we have not been able to achieve this. This could potentially fill important gaps in our knowledge of how planets develop their layered structures.

Why should we care?

Using the most advanced technology currently available to scientists, the Psyche mission asks: “Will we one day be able to mine asteroids for resources?” It will answer questions like. or “What secrets does Psyche have about our own planet?” Questions like these will not only advance our scientific understanding but also spark our imagination.

Discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1852 and named after the Greek goddess of souls, Psyche can truly tap into the “soul” of planetary science and reveal secrets that have been hidden for centuries.

The methods developed during the study of Psyche are currently being tested on other celestial bodies.

The team plans to use these techniques to study other large asteroids, potentially leading to new discoveries about the structure of our solar system. Psyche’s work was aided by a related project led by Michael Shepard of Bloomsburg University; This project combines data from different telescopes to precisely determine Psyche’s size, shape and orientation.

The results of this mission could redefine our understanding of planet formation, chart a course for future research, and perhaps even provide a blueprint for the future use of space resources. The full version of the research was published in the Planetary Science Journal.