"NASA's Timeline for Retrieving $10 Quintillion Asteroid to Earth"
NASA has shared the timeline for the mission to bring the $10,000 quadrillion asteroid named 16 Psyche to Earth, with the spacecraft expected to reach the asteroid in August 2029 after a journey of 2.2 billion miles. The vessel will orbit the asteroid for over two years to study its gravity, magnetic properties, and composition before a gravity assist from Mars in May 2026 propels it towards its final destination, with the mission planned to conclude in November 2031. The asteroid, measuring 173 miles across and 144 miles long, is of interest to NASA due to its enormous size and potential to provide insights into planetary cores and planet formation.