Psyche, the spacecraft NASA launched in October, turned on its cameras for the first time on Monday, December 4, and recorded its first image.
This is a milestone for the spacecraft, the so-called “first light”.
The spacecraft, which is currently 126 million kilometers from Earth, will reach its destination in 2029.
The target the rover is intended to study is asteroid 16 Psyche, which is allegedly full of precious metals.
The Psyche spacecraft, named after the asteroid, will cover about 3.5 billion kilometers on this journey.
But the vehicle is already testing a number of its devices. Among them are its cameras.
The first image recorded by the vehicle is the product of a test to make sure the cameras are working as intended.
In this test, the imager, consisting of a pair of identical cameras, captured a total of 68 images in the constellation Pisces.
“These first images have only pulled back the curtain,” said Jim Bell of Arizona State University in the US.
“First light is exciting for the researchers who designed and operated this advanced device,” added Bell, who led the team responsible for the Psyche imager:
In 2026, we will also take test images of Mars. Finally, in 2029, we will get our most exciting images yet of our target asteroid Psyche.
The scientist said that they are looking forward to sharing all the images with the public.
The team will use photographs taken at wavelengths of light visible and invisible to the human eye to determine Psyche’s composition.
The imaging team will also create three-dimensional maps to better understand the asteroid’s geological structure.
Could be worth 10 quintillion dollars
Psyche, the most expensive asteroid known, is composed of precious metals such as iron and nickel, unlike other asteroids formed by silicate rocks.
It is estimated that 60 percent of the asteroid is made of metal.
For this reason, some scientists have suggested that Psyche is worth 10 quintillion dollars.
Nevertheless, there is still the possibility that the asteroid may not be as valuable as expected. Researchers from Purdue and Brown universities in the US, for example, argue that the iron concentration in the asteroid is not as high as thought and therefore its value may be less.
To solve this mystery, the spacecraft will need to take a close look at the asteroid in question.
Psyche is about 225 kilometers in diameter. Its surface area is about 165,800 square kilometers.
Scientists think Psyche was once a young planetary body that began orbiting the newly formed Sun.
