It’s an exciting mission that will confirm once and for all whether an asteroid near Mars has the potential to bring down the world economy.
As far-fetched as it sounds, scientists say the space rock 16 Psyche could be worth such an unfathomable amount of money that this result is not off limits to possibility.
That’s because some believe it’s chock full of precious metals worth more than $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion).
Others dispute this and say it’s just hard rock, but NASA should still be able to tell when its Psyche spacecraft, due to launch in less than 100 days, will reach the asteroid four years from now.
Engineers and technicians in Cape Canaveral, Florida are now working almost around the clock as preparations for takeoff enter the ‘home stretch’.
The countdown begins: Engineers and technicians at Cape Canaveral are working nearly around the clock as preparations for liftoff of the Psyche spacecraft (pictured) enter the ‘home stretch’
Goldmine? Scientists say space rock 16 Psyche (shown in an artist’s impression) could be packed with $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion) worth of precious metals
They are preparing the orbiter to travel 2.5 billion miles (4 billion kilometers) to 16 Psyche, which is in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
NASA hopes that in addition to establishing how metal-rich the object is, scientists can also learn more about planetary cores and how planets form.
The US space agency recently completed a test campaign of the probe’s flight software and installed it on the spacecraft, removing the hurdle preventing Psyche from making its original 2022 launch date.
“The team and I are now counting down the days to launch,” said Henry Stone, Psyche project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
“Our focus has shifted to safely completing the final mechanical shutdown of the spacecraft and preparing the team for operations.
‘The team is doing a lot of training to make sure we are prepared and ready.
“It’s a very busy time, but everyone is very excited and looking forward to the launch.”
Psyche will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 10:38 ET (15:38 BST) on October 5.
Once it has escaped Earth’s gravity, the spacecraft will use solar electric propulsion to complete its six-year journey to the eponymous Psyche asteroid.
Scientists believe the space rock, which measures about 279 kilometers (173 miles) at its widest point, may be part of the core of a planetesimal, the building block of an early planet.
It could also provide a unique opportunity to study how planets like our Earth formed.
Scientists believe that rocky planets have dense metallic cores at the center of the magma below their surfaces, but because these lie deep below the mantle and crust of those worlds, they are difficult to measure and study directly.
Once NASA’s orbiter reaches 16 Psyche, it will spend at least 26 months orbiting the asteroid.
Testing: NASA recently completed a test campaign of the flight software and installed it on the spacecraft, removing the hurdle that prevented Psyche from making its original 2022 launch date.
While there, the spacecraft will take countless pictures and collect data that will tell scientists more about its history and what it’s made of.
They hope the information will include the asteroid’s topography, its gravitational properties, and how different elements are distributed throughout the object.
If 16 Psyche is loaded with precious metals, it could be worth a lot of money, according to MIT rocket scientist Dr. Linda Elkins-Tanton.
He has calculated that the iron of 16 Psyche alone would be worth 10,000 quadrillion dollars (8,072 quadrillion pounds sterling).
Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could send the value of precious metals plummeting, completely devaluing all holdings, including those of governments and all companies involved in extracting, distributing and trading such products.
Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy.
Speaking to Global News Canada, Dr Elkins-Tanton said: ‘Even if we could grab a big piece of metal and drag it back here… what would you do?
‘Could you sit in it and hide it and control the global resource, sort of like diamonds are controlled corporately, and protect your market?
What it will look like: Once NASA’s orbiter reaches 16 Psyche, it will spend at least 26 months orbiting the asteroid (depicted in an artist impression) to collect images and data.
‘What if you decided to bring it back and you were just going to solve humanity’s metal resource problems forever? This is wild speculation, obviously.
Engineers have described the Psyche spacecraft as “slightly larger than a smart car and as tall as a regulation basketball hoop”, while if you include the solar panels that will power its movement, it is almost as big as a tennis court.
The mission is in the phase known as assembly, test and launch operations since March 2021.
Luis Domínguez, the electrical and systems lead for assembly, test and launch operations, said of the preparations: ‘We are moving forward and we are confident that when we are on the pad, we will be ready to push the button.
“For all of us, we’re going to be excited to release this bird.”
