00:00NASA's Psyche spacecraft is now racing toward a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt.
00:05It recently completed a gravity assist from Mars, gaining a speed boost that saved propellant.
00:11Since September 28th, its thrusters have been running almost non-stop.
00:16The spacecraft uses solar-powered Hall-effect thrusters that push out xenon ions.
00:21Each produces up to 250 mN of thrust, about the force of holding one AA battery.
00:27The push is tiny, but it adds up over the long journey.
00:30At top cruise speed, Psyche will travel more than 100,000 down AirPo.
00:35After three years, it has used about one-third of its xenon supply.
00:39That leaves enough to reach the asteroid and support work in orbit.
00:43The spacecraft is expected to reach the asteroid by summer 2029.
00:47The 173-mile-wide asteroid may be the partial metal core of an early planetary building block.
00:53That could offer a rare look inside rocky planets like Earth.
00:57Disclosure
00:58This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
