Psyche is a major metal-rich asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter, estimated to be worth $10 quintillion ($10,000,000,000,000,000,000). It is composed of nickel iron, along with gold, platinum and palladium.
NASA’s Psyche Mission: Journey and Objectives
NASA launched the Psyche spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy in October 2023, embarking on a 2.2–2.5 billion-mile (3.5–4.0 billion km) journey. The spacecraft is powered by solar-electric (ion) thrusters, which propel it at around 84,000 mph, with potential to reach 124,000 mph, as it lazily cruises through space. Along its path, it will pass by Mars in May 2026 for a gravity assist, then orbit 16 Psyche in July 2029, remaining there until October 2031. The mission’s suite of instruments—including a multispectral imager, gamma-ray/neutron spectrometer, magnetometer, and a radio science package—will analyze its composition, magnetic field, and gravity. The primary goal is to determine whether Psyche is a planetary core and to expand our understanding of terrestrial planet formation.
The “Billionaire Asteroid” Thought Experiment
If we ever mined and transported all of Psyche’s metals back to Earth, every single person could hypothetically become a billionaire—receiving around $1.2 billion each. Some estimates even propose a staggering $93 billion per person, assuming a higher valuation near $700 quintillion. However, NASA cautions this is purely speculative. Experts agree that introducing such vast amounts of metal into Earth’s markets would collapse metal prices, destabilizing the global economy. Additionally, there is no current technology to economically mine, retrieve, or transport such massive extraterrestrial resources .
Scientific Value Over Commercial Gain
Though Psyche’s theoretical wealth captures imaginations, NASA emphasizes the mission’s scientific ambition, not profit. As Linda Elkins‑Tanton, the mission’s principal investigator at Arizona State University, stated: the $10 quintillion figure is a “thought experiment”—practical value lies in planetary science, not wealth. Understanding a potential exposed core offers a rare glimpse into the dynamics behind planetary differentiation, collisions, and formation in the early solar system. Psyche is “by far the largest” metal-rich asteroid, and scientists hope its relatively unaltered state will provide pristine data.
Timeline and Next Steps
Discovery: 16 Psyche was first spotted on March 17, 1852, by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis.
- Launch: Psyche spacecraft lifted off October 13, 2023
- Mars Gravity Assist: Scheduled for May 2026, accelerating the spacecraft toward Psyche
- Orbit Insertion: Expected in July 2029, with at least two years of orbiting until October 2031
Final Thoughts: Why Psyche Matters
Asteroid 16 Psyche is a cosmic window into the building blocks of planets—particularly the metallic cores hidden beneath planetary mantles. While its hypothetical multi‑quintillion-dollar value is alluring, the Psyche mission prioritizes knowledge, not commerce. Its findings could revolutionize our understanding of how Earth and similar terrestrial planets came to be, making it one of the most compelling planetary science missions of the decade. In addition to its scientific significance, the Psyche mission represents a major milestone in deep space exploration using solar-electric propulsion. It also paves the way for future asteroid missions that could one day involve mining, though such endeavors remain decades away. Psyche’s journey not only expands our cosmic knowledge—it demonstrates humanity’s growing technological ability to explore and understand distant celestial bodies.
