Psyche, Discovery Mission 14 - a visit to the metallic asteroid, 16 Psyche |
Psyche, Discovery Mission 14 - a visit to the metallic asteroid, 16 Psyche |
Jan 4 2017, 08:24 PM
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 71 Joined: 12-December 16 Member No.: 8089 |
#psychedforpsyche! Psyche has been selected by NASA as the 14th Discovery program mission, after Lucy. The mission aims to send a spacecraft in orbit around the M-type asteroid 16 Psyche, a metallic world theorized to be the exposed iron core of a former protoplanet the size of Mars. The spacecraft will launch in October 2023, with planned gravity assists of Earth in 2024 and Mars in 2025. It will arrive at 16 Psyche in 2030. The mission is led by the Arizona State University and Principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton.
Be sure to check out the new subreddit, r/psychemission, as well! |
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Jan 13 2017, 06:05 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
relevant to the mission:
Detection of Rotational Spectral Variation on the M-type asteroid (16) Psyche QUOTE The asteroid (16) Psyche is of scientific interest because it contains ~ 1% of the total mass of the asteroid belt and is thought to be the remnant metallic core of a protoplanet. Radar observations have indicated the significant presence of metal on the surface with a small percentage of silicates. Prior ground-based observations showed rotational variations in the near-infrared (NIR) spectra and radar albedo of this asteroid. However, no comprehensive study that combines multi-wavelength data has been conducted so far. Here we present rotationally resolved NIR spectra (0.7-2.5 microns) of (16) Psyche obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. These data have been combined with shape models of the asteroid for each rotation phase. Spectral band parameters extracted from the NIR spectra show that the pyroxene band center varies from ~ 0.92 to 0.94 microns. Band center values were used to calculate the pyroxene chemistry of the asteroid, whose average value was found to be Fs30En65Wo5. Variations in the band depth were also observed, with values ranging from 1.0 to 1.5%. Using a new laboratory spectral calibration we estimated an average orthopyroxene content of 6+/-1%. The mass-deficit region of Psyche, which exhibits the highest radar albedo, also shows the highest value for spectral slope and the minimum band depth. The spectral characteristics of Psyche suggest that its parent body did not have the typical structure expected for a differentiated body or that the sequence of events that led to its current state was more complex than previously thought.
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