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TED-Ed

Why is NASA sending a spacecraft to a metal world? - Linda T. Elkins-Tanton

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7,188 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

In 2026, an unmanned NASA spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at 16 Psyche, a massive, metallic asteroid floating somewhere between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Why is NASA so interested in this heavy metal asteroid? Are we going to mine all that metal, or build a giant space magnet? Linda T. Elkins-Tanton explains how the real answer can be found right under our feet.

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

Educator
Linda T. Elkins-Tanton
Director
Eoin Duffy
Script Editor
Alex Gendler
Animator
Eoin Duffy
Modeler
Derek Prinzi, Jarmyn Tremellen, Bill Gregory, Alex Kurgano
Associate Producer
Elizabeth Cox, Jessica Ruby
Content Producer
Gerta Xhelo
Editorial Producer
Alex Rosenthal
Narrator
Addison Anderson
Fact-Checker
Brian Gutierrez

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