Imagine an asteroid so valuable that its estimated worth surpasses the combined fortunes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Donald Trump. This isn’t a scene from a sci-fi movie but a real celestial body named 16 Psyche, valued at a mind-boggling $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 ($10 quintillion). Discovered 172 years ago, this pricey asteroid has been catching the eye of astronomers and economists alike.
Last year, NASA announced an ambitious mission to this enigmatic asteroid, which is believed to be a mix of rock and metal, with metal constituting 30 to 60 percent of its volume. The presence of abundant precious metals such as gold, iron, and nickel adds to its staggering financial estimate.
In July, NASA expressed its commitment to the mission, stating, “Teams of engineers and technicians are working almost around the clock to ensure the orbiter is ready to journey 2.5 billion miles to a metal-rich asteroid that may tell us more about planetary cores and how planets form.”
The spacecraft embarked on its monumental voyage from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 13, 2023. It’s slated to swing by Mars in May 2026, using the Red Planet’s gravity to catapult itself toward 16 Psyche. By July 2029, the asteroid’s own gravity is expected to ensnare the spacecraft after a lengthy journey of about 2.2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers).
During its prime mission from August 2029 to November 2031, the spacecraft will orbit 16 Psyche, collecting valuable scientific data.
The asteroid was first spotted by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1852. The name ’16 Psyche’ not only reflects its sequence in discovery but also alludes to Psyche, the ancient Greek goddess of the soul, often depicted with butterfly wings.
Positioned in the outer region of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, 16 Psyche orbits the Sun at a distance roughly three times that of Earth to the Sun.
NASA has invested about $1.2 billion in the Psyche mission, which includes the costs of development, launch, and operations. This figure includes approximately $131 million for launch services and an additional $206 million allocated to the Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration.
This hefty investment underscores the potential scientific and economic returns that the exploration of 16 Psyche might yield. With its vast riches, this celestial body could indeed be a game-changer for our understanding of the cosmos and the future of space economy.