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Hi everybody, and welcome back 
to the show. 

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Today we're going to be talking 
about a very compelling SpaceX 

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and NASA mission that aims to 
explore an asteroid called 

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Psyche. 
How This asteroid isn't just any

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old space rock, though it's 
largely metallic and resembles 

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the Earth score. 
And with the launch slated as 

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soon as this Thursday from 
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 

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Florida, the Psyche mission is 
expected to open new Frontiers 

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and our understanding of 
planetary formation. 

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I will be covering various 
aspects of this mission, from 

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the spacecraft's journey to why 
this particular asteroid is so 

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vital for scientific research. 
And you can also check out the 

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live stream on Thursday morning 
at 9:00 AM Eastern Time on our 

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YouTube channel at Space News 
Pod. 

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Now the idea for exploring an 
asteroid may seem very 

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futuristic, but the future is 
very close. 

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NASA's Psyche mission has been 
in the works for quite some time

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with a year long delay, throwing
a small wrench into the planning

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of this mission. 
And nevertheless, the spacecraft

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named after the asteroid it aims
to explore is prepped and almost

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ready for its expedition. 
And the launch vehicle for this 

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mission, SpaceX, is triple core 
Falcon Heavy rocket, which will 

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propel the spacecraft on a six 
year, 2.2 billion mile journey. 

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This is not just another 
mission, though, it's a first in

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many ways. 
Notably, it's the first time 

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NASA is targeting an asteroid 
that isn't primarily rock or 

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ice, and instead Psyche consists
mostly of metal. 

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And the mission could offer 
insights into the cores of 

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terrestrial planets, including 
our own Earth. 

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That's a scientific jackpot, 
considering that the Earth's 

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core remains inaccessible for 
direct study. 

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Now the countdown is on and the 
launch window is narrowing, and 

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the Psyche mission has launched 
opportunities every day between 

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October 12th and October 25th 
with a 20% chance of favorable 

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weather conditions. 
NASA and SpaceX attorney October

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12th at precisely 10:16 AM 
Eastern Time for this much 

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awaited liftoff. 
So what makes Psyche so special?

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Located about three times 
farther from the Sun than Earth,

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this asteroid could harbor 
secrets that shed light onto the

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core structure of terrestrial 
planets. 

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Named after a Greek goddess, 
Psyche has fascinated scientists

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because of its uniqueness in the
asteroid belt between Mars and 

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Jupiter. 
And planetary formation is a 

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very chaotic process, and Psyche
could be the exposed core of a 

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planet that never got the chance
to form completely. 

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Scientists theorize that it is 
composed mainly of nickel iron, 

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which makes it different from 
other celestial bodies like 

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Mars, Venus, and Earth that are 
abundant in iron oxides. 

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And unlike these planets, Psyche
doesn't appear to have much in 

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the way of iron oxides, 
suggesting a different kind of 

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planetary formation history. 
It's a 140 mile wide chunk of 

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metal and rock, potentially 
offering a glimpse into the 

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early solar system and the 
chaotic processes that go on in 

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the formation of planets. 
Now when it comes to the Psyche 

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spacecraft, the adage good 
things come in small packages is

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fitting though the spacecraft 
could cover the surface of a 

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standard tennis court when it's 
solar razor deployed. 

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What's inside is a compact 
treasure trove of scientific 

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equipment designed to unlock the
mysteries of this asteroid, 

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Psyche and possibly of our solar
system. 

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But let's not forget the 
spacecraft itself is a marvel of

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modern engineering. 
Equipped to survive six year 

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long journey to the vacuum space
to reach its distant target, the

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first piece of equipment we 
should talk about is a 

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magnetometer. 
This is not just a 

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run-of-the-mill instrument, it's
a specialized equipment to 

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detect ancient magnetic fields. 
If Psyche does turn out to be 

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the core of a long disintegrated
planet, then traces of a 

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magnetic field could provide 
game changing insights into 

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planetary science. 
The magnetometer will scour the 

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asteroid for such traces, 
potentially helping us 

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understand the magnetic 
properties of celestial bodies 

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that never really got the chance
to become fully fledged planets.

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Now. 
Then there's the Gamma Ray and 

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neutron spectrometer, another 
critical device on board. 

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Its role is to perform a kind of
elemental analysis of the 

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asteroid. 
By detecting gamma rays and 

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neutrons, this instrument can 
help us understand the chemical 

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elements that make up Psyche, 
effectively deciphering its 

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composition. 
This can answer questions like 

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whether the asteroid is nickel 
or iron or other metals, and by 

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extension shed light on the 
elements that make up planetary 

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cores. 
Now, last but not least, a 

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multispectral imager. 
This will capture detailed 

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images of Psyche, but it goes 
far beyond simple photography. 

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The imager will capture data 
across various wavelengths, 

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allowing scientists to assess 
the mineral composition and 

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topography of the asteroid 
intended with the other 

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instruments. 
This imager completes a holistic

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tool kit for space exploration. 
Additionally, the Deep Space 

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Orbital Communication System 
will experiment with long range 

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laser communications technology,
a pioneering step that could set

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the stage for future deep space 
missions. 

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Now the mission timeline spans 
almost six years and covers an 

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enormous distance. 
The spacecraft will use a solar 

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electric propulsion system and 
get a gravity assist from Mars 

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on its way, and upon arrival in 
2029, it will spend around 26 

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months studying the asteroid. 
The spacecraft is expected to 

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begin transmitting images to 
Earth as soon as it detects the 

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asteroid, allowing us a visual 
treat along with scientific 

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data. 
Delays have plagued this 

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mission, with the original 
launch date in August of 2022 

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being pushed back. 
The reasons include software 

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issues and operational 
challenges, and to tackle these,

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NASA added more team members and
even revised as Hybrid Work 

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policy to increase onsite 
collaboration. 

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And all the hard work seems to 
be paying off at NASA, SpaceX 

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and the Psyche. 
Mission managers recently 

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conducted a Flight Readiness 
Review certifying the mission 

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for final launch preparations. 
And with last minute simulations

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and fine tuning, the spacecraft 
appears set for its 

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groundbreaking journey to 
explore the metal rich asteroid.

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The launch window has been 
adjusted to be between October 

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12th and October 25th, giving 
the teams more time to complete 

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flight ready checks and ensure 
everything is in order. 

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We're now closer than ever to 
uncovering the secrets that 

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could redefine our understanding
of planetary cores in the 

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formation of rocky planets like 
Earth and also our solar system.

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Thank you so much for listening 
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