NASA Psyche Mission:

• Psyche, an asteroid, orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The Psyche mission is one of NASA`s first two missions to explore the Solar System.

• The Lucy mission is another mission that will explore Jupiter`s Trojan asteroids to learn more about the early Solar System.

• The Psyche Mission is NASA`s first mission to investigate Psyche, a unique giant metal asteroid.

• The mission is overseen by Arizona State University. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA will be in charge of mission management, navigation, and operations.

• The mission was selected as one of two missions to explore the early Solar System in 2017. The mission will launch from Florida`s Kennedy Space Center in August 2022 and land on the Psyche asteroid in 2026.

• The mission will study and map the asteroid Psyche for 21 months.

• Understanding the division of planets and other bodies into layers such as cores, mantles, and crusts.

• To investigate a metal asteroid.

• To investigate the solar system`s early epochs

• X-band Gravity Science Investigation

• Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer

• Multispectral Imager

• Magnetometer

• Annibale de Gasparis, an Italian astronomer, discovered the Psyche as the 16th asteroid in 1852. 

• The asteroid was named after the Goddess of Soul from Greek mythology. It has a diameter of 210 kilometers. 

• The asteroid, like Earth`s core, is mostly made of metallic iron and nickel.

Inmarsat-6 F1 Communications Satellite Launched By Japan:

• It was carried into geostationary orbit by a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H-IIA204 rocket, about 22,240 miles (35,790 kilometres) above the Earth.

• It is being developed by Inmarsat, a London-based company, as part of its next-generation satellite broadband service.

• The satellite, which weighs 12,060-pounds, is the first of two `I-6` spacecraft (5,470 kilograms).

• The H-IIAF45 launch of the Inmarsat-6 F1 satellite is Japan`s third orbital flight of 2021 and the H-second IIA`s mission of the year, marking the H-IIA vehicle`s 45th flight overall.

• It is a dual-payload satellite capable of L-band (ELERA) and Ka-band communications (Global Xpress).

• It is the world`s largest and most advanced commercial communications satellite.

• The H-IIA has been Japan`s longest-serving liquid-fueled rocket since 2001, and it is now MHI`s largest rocket for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Science