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A infografia mostra os detalhes da missão Psyche da NASA.
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ESPAÇO

Viagem da NASA a um mundo de metal

By Jordi Bou

August 1, 2022 - A NASA vai explorar um asteróide gigante que, ao contrário da maioria dos outros asteróides, que são corpos rochosos ou gelados, parece ser o núcleo exposto de um antigo planeta do nosso sistema solar.

Most of the objects in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter are rocky, but 16 Psyche appears to be made primarily of iron and nickel similar to Earth’s core.

The mission will help scientists assess the hypothesis that the 226km-wide asteroid may be the exposed core of an ancient planet, whose rocky outer layers were stripped away by impacts long ago.

The spacecraft will also carry a technology demonstration called Deep Space Optical Communication. This instrument will transmit data to Earth using photons, a more efficient strategy than the traditional radio-wave method, mission team members have said.

If all proceeds as planned, Psyche will be launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in Aug 2022, perform a gravity-assist flyby of Mars in May 2023, and arrive in orbit around Psyche in 2026.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 08/04/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
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