NASA enters the ‘home stretch’ in its mission to reach a $10,000 QUADRILLION asteroid that’s packed full of precious metals

It’s an exciting mission that will confirm once and for all whether an asteroid near Mars has the potential to bring down the global economy.

As far-fetched as it may seem, scientists say the 16 Psyche space stone could be worth such an unfathomable amount that this outcome is not unthinkable.

That’s because some believe it’s chock-full of precious metals worth more than $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion).

Others dispute this, saying it’s just hard rock, but NASA should be able to tell anyway when its Psyche spacecraft — due to launch in less than 100 days — will arrive at the asteroid in four years.

Engineers and technicians in Cape Canaveral, Florida, are now working nearly around the clock as launch preparations enter the “home stretch.”

Gold mine? Scientists say the 16 Psyche space stone (shown in an artist’s impression) could be full of precious metals worth $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion).

They are preparing the orbiter for a 4 billion kilometer journey to 16 Psyche, which is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

NASA hopes that scientists can not only determine how metal-rich the object is, but also learn more about planetary nuclei and how planets form.

The US space agency recently completed a test campaign of the probe’s flight software and installed it on the spacecraft, removing the hurdle that kept Psyche from meeting its original launch date of 2022.

“The team and I are now counting down the days to launch,” said Henry Stone, Psyche project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Our focus has shifted to safely completing the final mechanical shutdown of the spacecraft and preparing the team for operations.

“The team is conducting numerous training activities to ensure we are prepared and ready.

“It’s a very busy time, but everyone is very excited and looking forward to the launch.”

Psyche will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on October 5 at 10:38 ET (15:38 BST).

Once it has escaped Earth’s gravity, the spacecraft will use solar-electric propulsion to complete its six-year journey to the eponymous asteroid Psyche.

Scientists believe the space rock, which measures about 170 miles (279 kilometers) at its widest point, may be part of a planetesimal core — the building block of an early planet.

It could also provide a unique opportunity to study how planets like our own Earth formed.

Scientists believe that rocky planets have dense metallic cores in the center of the magma below their surfaces, but because these lie so far beneath the mantle and crust of such worlds, they are difficult to measure and study directly.

Once NASA’s orbiter 16 reaches Psyche, it will remain in orbit around the asteroid for at least 26 months.

Testing: NASA recently completed a test campaign of the flight software and installed it on the spacecraft, removing the hurdle that kept Psyche from meeting its original launch date of 2022

While there, the spacecraft will take numerous pictures and collect data that will tell scientists more about its history and what it is made of.

They hope the information includes the asteroid’s topography, its gravitational properties and the way various elements are distributed throughout the object.

If 16 Psyche is indeed full of precious metals, it could be worth a huge amount of money, according to Dr. Linda Elkins-Tanton, a space scientist at MIT.

She has calculated that the iron in 16 Psyche alone would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion).

Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet, completely devaluing all assets, including those owned by governments, and all companies involved in mining, distributing and trading such raw materials.

Ultimately, it can lead to the collapse of the entire economy.

Speaking to Global News Canada, Dr. Elkins-Tanton said, “Even if we could take a large piece of metal and drag it back here… what would you do?

“Could you sit on it and hide it and control the global resource — kind of like diamonds are collectively controlled — and protect your market?

What it will look like: Once NASA’s orbiter 16 reaches Psyche, it will spend at least 26 months orbiting the asteroid (pictured in an artist’s impression) collecting photos and data

“What if you decided that you would bring it back and you would solve humanity’s metal resource problems forever? This is, of course, wild speculation.’

The Psyche spacecraft has been described by engineers as “slightly bigger than a Smart Car and about the size of a regulation basketball hoop,” while if you count the solar panels that power its movement, it’s about the size of a tennis court.

The mission has been in the phase known as assembly, test and launch operations since March 2021.

Luis Dominguez, the systems and electrical lead for assembly, test and launch operations, said of the preparations: ‘We are moving forward and we are confident that when we are on the pad we are ready to push the button.

“For all of us, we’ll be excited to launch this bird.”