What is in news : NASA, is set to send its “Psyche Mission” to visit a giant asteroid called Psyche, which could be the frozen remains of molten core of a bygone world.

Details :

• Date – August 2022
• Will orbit around the asteroid for two years
• Take pictures, map the surface, and look for evidence of an ancient magnetic field
• Will also study the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the asteroid’s surface in order to determine its elemental composition.

Significance

• First mission to explore an asteroid with a surface comprising of substantial amounts of metal rather than rock or ice.
• Seeks to understand iron cores, which is an unexplored building block of formation of planet
• Provides first opportunity to examine the interiors of a rocky planet