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Hi everybody, welcome back to 
the show. 

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Today we're going to be delving 
into one of the most ambitious 

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space missions ever undertaken. 
In less than 80 days, NASA and 

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SpaceX will join forces to 
launch the Psyche spacecraft on 

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a journey that spans 2.5 billion
miles. 

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Now this voyage aims to explore 
the mystery is of an asteroid 

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nestled within the main asteroid
belt between Mars and Jupiter, 

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known as 16 Psyche. 
This asteroid, unlike any other,

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is made-up largely of iron and 
nickel, leading to estimates of 

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its worth reaching an incredible
10,000 quadrillion dollars. 

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But monetary value aside, 16 
Psyche presents an unparalleled 

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opportunity for us to study a 
world that may closely resemble 

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the iron core of Earth. 
Today, we're going to be diving 

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deep into the fascinating 
details of this mission. 

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Examining the tireless work of 
NASA and SpaceX as they prepare 

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for this Monumentus launch. 
Will be discussing the 

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technologies involved in 
exploring the scientific and 

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potential. 
Will be discussing the 

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technologies involved in 
exploring the scientific and 

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potential economic implication. 
Our journey will take us from 

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the Space Launch Complex 39, a 
site at Kennedy Space Center, 

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all the way to the heart of the 
asteroid belt. 

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We'll reveal how Psyche the 
spacecraft will utilize solar 

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electric propulsion to traverse 
the vast cosmic expanse and how 

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it will help scientists unlock 
the secrets of the metal rich 

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asteroid Psyche over a 26 month 
research period. 

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And we'll get right into that 
after this quick break from our 

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sponsors. 
So stick with us. 

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We'll be right back in under 80 
days. 

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History will be made as NASA. 
And SpaceX partnered to launch a

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solar powered spacecraft on a 
voyage that will span 2.5 

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billion miles. 
This journey is into the heart 

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of our solar system, and it'll 
propel humanity further into the

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cosmos than ever before to the 
main asteroid belt situated 

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between Mars and Jupiter. 
Now what's the purpose of this 

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mission, though? 
It's to lay bare the mysteries 

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of an enigmatic asteroid 
designated 16 Psyche. 

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The metallic composition of 16 
Psyche, chiefly iron and nickel,

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has been the source of much 
speculation and excitement, and 

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estimates pegged the potential 
worth of this asteroid at an 

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astronomical 10,000 quadrillion 
dollars. 

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That's a figure that could 
revolutionize economies and 

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industry as we know them. 
But beyond the material riches 

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lies an ever more significant 
treasure, a unique opportunity 

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for planetary scientists to 
study an iron core that looks 

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like. 
And could be like the center of 

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our own Earth Now this mission 
will expand our understanding of

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these iron cores and may well 
unveil an entirely new class of 

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metal worlds in our solar 
system. 

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Now, NASA has recently provided 
an online update regarding the 

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mission, revealing that a team 
of around 30 dedicated engineers

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and technicians working 
tirelessly to ready the 

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spacecraft, dubbed Psyche, in 
accordance with its asteroid 

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target. 
Now, as per the schedule, Psyche

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will be launched atop a SpaceX 
Falcon Heavy rocket blasting off

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from Space Complex 39 a Kennedy 
Space Center, Thursday, October 

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5th, 2023 at 10:38 AM Eastern 
Time. 

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Now, this launch window remains 
open until Wednesday, October 

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25th, 2023, offering multiple 
opportunities for a successful 

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liftoff, although Falcon Heavy 
has been typically utilized to 

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launch heavy satellites. 
Psyche marks its maiden 

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interplanetary launch milestone 
for the vehicle. 

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Our focus has shifted to safely 
completing the final mechanical 

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closeout of the spacecraft and 
preparing the team for 

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operations at Henry Stone, 
Psyche's project manager at 

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NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Southern California, they 

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said. 
We are counting down the days to

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the launch and following Earth's
gravity escape, the Psyche 

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spacecraft will utilize solar 
electric propulsion. 

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To accomplish its six year 
journey to asteroid Psyche now 

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asteroid Psyche, measuring 
approximately 173 miles at its 

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widest point, presents an 
extraordinary opportunity to 

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examine a metal rich celestial 
body. 

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Scientists hypothesize that the 
asteroid might be a remnant core

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of a planetisimal in early 
planet's building block, and 

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once Psyche reaches the 
asteroid, it'll spend no less 

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than 26 months orbiting it. 
Gathering in valuable images and

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other data to illuminate its 
composition and its history. 

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And before this can occur, 
though, the assembly, testing 

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and launch operations phase 
needs to be completed by the 

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team of engineers and 
technicians. 

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And after wrapping up several 
weeks of functional testing of 

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the science instruments and 
spacecraft hardware and 

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software, the team is set to 
finalize the spacecraft 

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preparations. 
Now these final stages include 

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removing the remaining testing 
cables. 

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Reinstalling previously removed 
exterior panels for 

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accessibility and completing the
thermal blanketing later this 

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month, the team will integrate 
and test the deployment of the 

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immense solar arrays. 
By mid August. 

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The slow and careful progress of
loading all 2392 pounds of 

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propellant, the neutral gas 
xenon, will commence. 

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Now. 
Louis Dominguez, the systems and

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electrical lead for assembly, 
test and launch operations 

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express confidence in the 
progress made thus far stating. 

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We are moving forward and we're 
confident that when we're on the

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pad, we'll be ready to hit the 
button. 

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The Psyche mission is a product 
of numerous collaborators. 

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Arizona State University leads 
the endeavor. 

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NASA's Jet Propulsion 
Laboratory, a division of 

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Caltech in Pasadena, takes on 
the roles of overall management,

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system engineering, integration 
testing and mission operations. 

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Max, our technologies in Palo 
Alto, CA supplied the high power

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solar electric propulsion 
spacecraft chassis. 

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Now, the spacecraft will also 
carry a technology demonstration

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instrument, the Deep Space 
Optical Communications. 

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This tool will be used to test 
high data rate laser 

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communications that could 
potentially be employed by 

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future NASA missions. 
Psyche is the 14th mission 

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selected as part of NASA's 
Discovery program, overseen by 

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the agency's Marshall Space 
Flight Center in Huntsville, AL,

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and as humanity edges closer to 
this groundbreaking launch. 

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We're getting excited. 
Everyone's getting excited about

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it. 
It's going to be one of the most

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monumental launches in the 
history of humankind. 

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Now if you're interested in 
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And also thank you for listening

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today and thank you for being 
here and spending your time 

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here. 
Also, please take care of 

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yourselves and each other and I 
will see you in the next one.