Breakdown: Why NASA is launching a new mission of its kind

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - It’s just another space rock. Ore is it?

This year, NASA has plans to explore an asteroid made of metal.

A mission known as Psyche, and the first of its kind.

This illustration depicts the 140-mile-wide (226-kilometer-wide) asteroid Psyche, the target of... — This illustration depicts the 140-mile-wide (226-kilometer-wide) asteroid Psyche, the target of NASA’s mission of the same name. Based on data obtained from Earth, scientists believe the asteroid is a mixture of metal and rock.(NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU)

According to NASA:

The Pysche Mission is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 1, 2022.

Mission Timeline

2022 - Launch of Psyche spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center, Florida
2023 - Mars Flyby of Psyche spacecraft
2026 - Psyche spacecraft arrives in asteroid’s orbit
2026-2027 - Psyche spacecraft orbits the Psyche asteroid

You can follow along by visiting the mission website here.

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