Inclement weather conditions mean the original launch date has been postponed until Friday 13 October
The space research arm of the US government plans to launch the spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket at, named 16 Psyche, which is located an estimated 2.2 billion miles away, on the far edge of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft sits on launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Psyche – the 16th asteroid ever to be discovered in 1852 – is considered to be one of the most fascinating objects in the main asteroid belt.Scientists think the asteroid is composed of the exposed core of a planetesimal – a small body that formed during planet formation as gas and dust around a star collapsed in dense patches.
“Psyche gives us the opportunity to visit a core the only way that humankind can ever do, and so we hope to learn something about what’s inside the Earth and other rocky planets by visiting Psyche,” Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Psyche’s Principal Investigator, said.According to NASA, Psyche will journey through space for nearly six years before finally reaching the asteroid in 2029.
“I think it’s going to really surprise us and change our views about our solar system when we get there, and it’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of the team making that happen,” Elkins-Tanton said.The Psyche mission was originally set to blast off on Thursday, 12 October, but inclement weather in the Florida region has resulted in the team postponing the mission until Friday, 13 October.
“Behind this warm front and especially with that area of low pressure coming towards us, we expect winds to pick up very quickly out of the south and southwest. We could see 20 to 25 miles an hour , likely some stronger gusts with that as well.“
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