Psyche: Humankind’s first journey to a metal world

 Psyche: Humankind’s first journey to a metal world

Introduction

Our earth has always been a fascinating place. But to study what’s deep inside it would be much better. We have learned a lot about the earth’s core too but all of that is indirect knowledge. So NASA is sending a satellite to a metal asteroid that they believe is a core of a planet that was between Mars and Jupiter and was hit by an asteroid that tore off the crust and the inner core froze to metal. And that became the asteroid 16 Psyche. Read on to find our journey to reach there.

Image Source - Google | Image by - Wikipedia | An illustration of Psyche

Goals and objectives

The main objectives of Psyche related to the asteroid are:

• It will check whether the psyche is really a core or something else

• Increase the knowledge of planetary interiors

• To characterize the many aspects of 16 Psyche

• The metals that 16 Psyche consists of may also be those from which many other cores are made up of. Psyche will find the composition of 16 Psyche

There are many things like Psyche that start with a single goal but they turn into numerous goals to achieve these Psyche will need instruments. So here is the description of Psyche’s anatomy.

Structure of Psyche

NASA has given the rocket contract to SpaceX as the Falcon Heavy is taking the Psyche mission into outer space on 20 September 2022. It will also have different instruments such as the Multispectral Imager which will take filtered images of 16 Psyche filtering the metal part from the other part. Then comes the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer. It will detect the elemental composition of 16 Psyche. The next is a Magnetometer that will tell the magnetic field of 16 Psyche. The X-band Gravity Science Investigation will use the X-band (microwave) radio telecommunications system to figure out its interior and will also detect 16 Psyche’s gravitational field. But the working of these instruments shall happen in order on a fixed trajectory. What is it? Here is a detailed description of the trajectory that the Psyche may follow.

The course and path of Psyche

After launch with the Falcon Heavy, the satellite will follow a trajectory that will help it get a gravity assist from mars meaning that the gravity of mars will alter the speed of the Psyche in such a way that it will help in reducing fuel usage and will put it on a way that makes it to the asteroid belt. Then on January 31 2026, Psyche will start orbiting 16 Psyche in a manner that every time it repeats orbit, the distance between the satellite and asteroid decreases. its first orbit, Orbit A, will orbit it at a distance of 700 km for 56 days. Orbit B will be at 290 km for 76 days. Next, Orbit C will be at 170 km for 100 days. Then, Orbit D, 85 km for 120 days. After orbiting the asteroid for a whole 21 months the mission will end in October 2027.

Image Source - Google | Image by - Wikipedia | The orbits of Psyche

A part of the Discovery Mission series, Psyche, will help us take a look into the inner part of a planet that, due to violent crashes, got its mantle and crust torn off. This mission will help us to know about the behaviour of cores and this will be humankind’s greatest achievement.