NASA will explore a metal asteroid, hoping to unravel the mystery of the earth's core

CTOnews.com, August 20 (Xinhua)-- NASA plans to launch a spaceship Psyche on October 5 to a metal asteroid called 16 Psyche, which is 280 million miles from Earth (CTOnews.com Note: about 451 million kilometers). The asteroid may be the residual core of an unformed planet, made up of nickel and other metals.

Through the study of 16 Psyche,NASA, we hope to understand the structure and characteristics of the earth's core, and how it affects the earth's magnetic field and life adaptability. The earth's core cannot be directly observed because it lies 1800 miles (2896.82 kilometers) below the surface.

The Psyche spacecraft will arrive at 16 Psyche in 2026 and orbit it at four different altitudes for 26 months. It will use a variety of instruments to capture images of asteroids and measure their gravity, magnetic field and electromagnetic radiation, which will help NASA determine whether 16 Psyche is really a planetary core. However, NASA does not plan to mine 16 Psyche, just studying it.

In addition, the spaceship will test some new communication and propulsion systems. It will use a laser communication system to transmit data, which can transmit 100 times more data than the traditional radio communication system. A solar electric propulsion system will also be used to drive four Hall thrusters, using solar energy and xenon to accelerate flight.