> “I am excited to see the treasure trove of science Psyche will unlock as NASA’s first mission to a metal world,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By studying asteroid Psyche, we hope to better understand our universe and our place in it, especially regarding the mysterious and impossible-to-reach metal core of our own home planet, Earth.”
Why call a metal world 'psyche'? (Where psyche is the Greek word for heart.)
As far as I know, Psyche was named before its metallicity was known (it’s only the 16th asteroid ever discovered!) but the name is surprisingly apt given how it was long thought to be the exposed core of a protoplanet. The hypothesis appears to be mostly ruled out by observations, though.
Why call a metal world 'psyche'? (Where psyche is the Greek word for heart.)