NASA's asteroid-orbiting
spacecraft has moved a step closer to lift-off after being unveiled to media ahead of its launch this summer.
Engineers are putting
final touches on the probe, which is set to blast into space from Cape Canaveral in August on its journey to a metal-rich asteroid
Spacecraft will Fly
by Mars for Gravity assist in May 2023 and, in early 2026, Orbit around Asteroid 16 Psyche in the main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Scientists think the asteroid
which is about 173 miles at its widest point, could be packed full of precious metals and worth $10,000 quadrillion
Researchers from Brown
and Purdue universities believe it may actually be more hard rock
Whichever theory is true
NASA is hopeful that the Psyche mission will be able to confirm it and determine the asteroid's true origins.