NASA's Spacecraft Set to Depart on Mission to Psyche, a Metallic Asteroid

NASA has launched a probe named Psyche to visit an unusual asteroid in the Solar System. The asteroid, called 16 Psyche, is believed to be composed of up to 60% iron and nickel, making it a metal world. Scientists think it could be the core of a planet-like object that had its outer rocky layers stripped off. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida and will embark on a six-year, 3.5 billion km journey to reach its destination between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. When it arrives in 2029, the spacecraft will map the asteroid's shape and study its internal structure and composition. Psyche is expected to provide new insights into the formation of our Solar System.