.jpg "This is the first light from Psyche, the ship headed for the $10 trillion asteroid.")
The Psyche spacecraft, built by NASA to reach the asteroid of the same name “worth more than the current economy of the world”, has sent its first image from space. The probe’s instruments have been successfully activated and are ready to continue their journey to the debris field between Mars and Jupiter.
The United States space agency revealed the first data sent by the probe eight weeks after it left Earth. At 26 million kilometers from the planet, Psyche turned on its twin cameras and pointed them toward the constellation Pisces. The resulting photo is a mosaic of tiny dots representing dozens of stars light-years away from your current position.
This movement was nicknamed ‘First Light’. The team behind Psyche wanted to check the functionality of the spacecraft’s main instruments before it got further from Earth. The sooner strange behaviors are discovered, the more time engineers and astronomers have to quantify them. A similar phenomenon occurred with Euclid’s telescope: scientists discovered defects in one of the mirrors due to the ‘first light’.
Psyche’s twin cameras took 68 images of the star field. According to an official NASA statement, the exercise sought to verify the adequacy of control, telemetry analysis and calibration.
“These initial images are just an introduction. For the team designing and operating this state-of-the-art instrument, ‘first light’ is exciting. We are starting to test the cameras with images of such stars, and then, in 2026, we will take test images of Mars during a flyby of the spacecraft. Finally, in 2029 “We will get even more amazing images: of our target asteroid Psyche. We look forward to sharing all of these images with the public.” Jim Bell announcedArizona State University and Program Leader.
According to NASA, Psyche is likely the result of a planetary differentiation process, where heavier material sinks toward the core to form a dense, luminous core.
Psychology, a mystery to solve
No one knows exactly what psych is. In the best photographs of the asteroid, it appears only as a faint blob a few pixels wide. Scientists have determined that it is very dense. Its reflective properties suggest that it must be composed mostly of iron and nickel.
According to Psyche’s latest estimates, it is 226 kilometers wide and contains approximately 12 trillion kg of metals. Astronomers and geologists do not rule out that even valuable metals such as gold can be stored on Earth.
Mission organizers say the composition of the asteroid is not important. The soul may be an entity deeply connected to the origins of the solar system. Visually examining it will significantly expand our knowledge of star formation and the first rocky bodies.
NASA still has six years to reach its destination. It does not follow a straight line toward Jupiter, but instead moves in a spiral using gravity-assisted maneuvers. To achieve this, it uses a Hall Effect Thruster, which uses an electric field to release ionized propellant. Although it is not a very powerful engine, it is very efficient in terms of fuel economy.
