Nasa’s mission to explore an asteroid

On 24 May Nasa announced plans to explore an asteroid. Measuring around 130 miles in diameter, the 16 Psyche asteroid is one of the largest in an asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter. What’s special about this asteroid, though, is what it is made from: 16 Psyche is made almost entirely of the metals nickel and iron. The mission is set to launch in 2022 and will arrive at 16 Psyche by 2026. Once there, a spacecraft will spend around 20 months orbiting the asteroid and collecting data. Scientists hope to use the information to discover whether the asteroid is the core of an early planet. Examining 16 Psyche will also tell scientists about our own planet. This is because Earth’s core is also made of nickel and iron.…

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The Week Junior (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 79

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