Note: iron/nickel core also means the possibility of elements heavier than either⁠—gold, platinum, uranium, silver, rare earth elements⁠—all of which are dense enough to sink to the core of a molten protoplanet. And all potentially quantities

higher that we have found in Earth's crust.

This asteroid has massive strategic value to the U.S. once it becomes exploitable.

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Studying Psyche could provide scientists with new insight into the state of the early solar system and the planet formation process. Mission scientists want to know how old the asteroid is as well as deduce the speed rate of impacts in the early solar system. They hope to learn whether Psyche once was the core of an ancient planet that was subsequently destroyed and determine whether it formed in a process similar to the one that formed Earth’s core.

“The Psyche team is not only elated that we have the go-ahead for Phase C; more importantly, we are ready. With the transition into this new mission phase, we are one big step closer to uncovering the secrets of Psyche, a giant mysterious metallic asteroid, and that means the world to us,” emphasized mission principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe.

The probe, which is a project of NASA’s Discovery Program of low-cost robotic solar system missions, will be equipped with three science instruments–a magnetometer to find out if Psyche has any remaining magnetic field; a multi-spectral imager, which will capture high-resolution images while using filters to distinguish metals and silicates, and a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer, which will map the asteroid’s elements.

A new laser communication technology, known as Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), will be tested on board the spacecraft.

Studying the cores of terrestrial planets is difficult because they sit so far below their mantles and crusts. Since Psyche appears to be the exposed remnant of a planetary core, studying it will give researchers new insight into the violence of the early solar system as well as the accretion process through which planets formed.

Mission objectives include determining whether Psyche is a former planetary core or an object that never melted, learning the ages of the various regions on its surface, finding out if small metallic asteroids have the same light elements believed to be in Earth’s high-pressure core, determining whether Psyche and Earth’s core formed under similar conditions, and characterizing Psyche’s topography.

-More-

https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/solar-system/design-phase-begins-for-psyche-mission-to-metal-asteroid/