Psyche: a metal-rich asteroid reshaping planetary science

Asteroid 16 Psyche, about 225 km wide in the main belt, may contain large amounts of iron and nickel, prompting a back‑of‑the‑envelope figure of around $10 quintillion that is more a scale marker than a mining forecast. NASA’s Psyche mission (launched 2023) will map its composition and structure to understand whether it’s a remnant planetary core or a mixed rock-metal body, shedding light on planetary formation rather than turning Psyche into a market resource.