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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch to Asteroid Psyche for NASA Update · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:00
  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 to the show today and being part
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  of this community. If you found this episode
• 6:58
  informative, please hit this subscribe or follow button on
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  your time every day. So please stay tuned for more
• 7:15
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