NASA has designed a space probe of the Psyche, whose launch is scheduled for August 2022. Its goal is the study of the asteroid psyche, which station should arrive in early 2026.
Now in the space Agency began manufacturing systems and scientific instruments of the station. Assembly and testing is scheduled to begin in winter next year. And in the spring of the instrument must deliver to the main clean room at the jet propulsion Laboratory of NASA, which will host all the work.
the Psyche is created in the framework of the Discovery. In the study the asteroid contains a lot of iron, Nickel, gold and platinum, it is also one of the heaviest known to date.
There is a theory that Psyche may be a metal core proto-planet or a fragment thereof. The study of the heavenly bodies will give an opportunity not only to learn more about the mechanisms of formation of planets and nuclei, but also will help development in space technologies for the extraction of minerals.
the Psyche will explore the asteroid using magnetometers, multispectral camera, gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and the microwave instrument for the study of the gravitational field. Land data will be transmitted through the experimental system of laser communications.