"NASA's Psyche Mission: Exploring a Metal-Rich Asteroid"

NASA is launching its Psyche spacecraft on a mission to study the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft will travel 2.2 billion miles and is expected to arrive at the asteroid in 2029. Scientists hope to learn more about the formation of rocky planets in the solar system by studying this unique asteroid, which is believed to be the exposed core of a planetesimal. The mission will utilize a solar electric propulsion system and various scientific instruments to investigate the asteroid's magnetic field, topography, composition, and structure. The launch can be watched on NASA TV.