PSYCHE MISSION ON THE METAL ASTEROID

SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE AND COMMERCIAL INTEREST

IN A LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO BE DEFINED

Powered by two large solar panels, the probe will be propelled by four ion engines expelling xenon at high speed, ensuring a six-year journey. In May 2026, Psyche will receive a gravitational boost from the planet Mars before heading towards the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Why return to observe an asteroid when the Japanese Hayabusa-2 and American Osiris-REx missions have already collected numerous data on two of these celestial bodies, Ryugu and Bénou, and brought back samples? Because the term "asteroid" actually encompasses a whole diversity of stars, and Psyche, the target of NASA's mission, differs considerably from its counterparts.

First by its size:

This 280 km diameter asteroid is worth so much because it is one of the “M-type” asteroids, meaning it is mainly composed of metals.

Then, by its composition: Psyche is made up of nickel, iron and gold. This type of asteroid is quite rare in our solar system and could allow us to answer many questions about the origin of planets like Earth, which is why NASA is sending a space probe to Psyche this Friday October 13, 2023.

Studying the heart of our planet

The main interest of this mission is to collect as much information as possible on this stellar object, similar to the earth's core. All rocky planets, including Earth, have a metallic core, but we still know little about ours due to access limitations imposed by extreme heat and pressure. Jules Verne's novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” unfortunately remains pure fiction.

This makes it easier for scientists to observe Psyche and her exposed heart. “One of the existing theories is that it was in the bowels of a forming planet,” explains David Oh, engineer and project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Psyche may have been the metallic core that was forming inside a baby planet, which then collided with another planet, which tore away that rocky mantle, leaving only a piece of that core in the 'space ".

So by studying Psyche, scientists could study the Earth's core of planets like ours in detail for the first time. Even more, since scientists assume that these are the remains of a planet from the beginning of our solar system, the information collected could shed light on how planets formed.

In particular, since scientists assume that Psyche is a remnant of a planet from the early days of our solar system, the data collected could shed light on the process of planetary formation. This will be the first exploration not only of an asteroid of this type, but also of a whole new world made of metal.

A value of 10,000 billion dollars

While the contribution to science promises to be enormous, the commercial attractiveness and legal framework of these new missions for the exploration and exploitation of space resources still raise questions.

Although this mission is primarily scientific in scope, the value of the asteroid could arouse envy and trigger a gold rush.

With a diameter of around 220 km, the asteroid Psyche could indeed represent a value of 10,000 billion dollars (or approximately 9,534 billion euros), according to estimates relayed by the American magazine Forbes.

This exceeds the accumulation of global economies, sparking keen interest and raising questions about the exploitation of space mining resources to compensate for the scarcity of certain metals on Earth. In addition, many H-type asteroids, which have a much higher metal composition than that of Earth, are found in abundant quantities.

A sector already very invested

The senators of the foresight delegation underline in a report published in June that the exploitation of space resources is no longer a science fiction scenario, but a reality.

Players, particularly from the private sector, are already mobilizing to position themselves on this future market. The sector is not at the embryonic stage since players, particularly in the private sector, are already working to ensure a place on this (future) market. Especially since the hope of exploiting minerals from space is fueled by the latest scientific advances. For example, the Osiris-Rex mission returned to Earth in September with 250 grams of samples from the asteroid Bennou, the largest quantity of such a celestial body ever reported on our planet.

At the beginning of the 2010s, American companies set the ambition to achieve this. Google executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, as well as Avatar director James Cameron, invested in one of these companies in 2012. The Duchy of Luxembourg also acquired, in 2016, 10% of one of these start-ups. The blow was over in 2018.

Some companies in the sector have gone bankrupt or been bought out to reorient themselves towards other space domains. Recent scientific advances fuel hopes of exploiting minerals from space. Companies like AstroForge in the United States, Asteroid Mining Corporation in the United Kingdom and ispace in Japan are positioning themselves as pioneers of this movement.

The American company AstroForge is increasing its tests with autonomous prospecting space robots in order to exploit extraterrestrial resources. It hopes to be able to launch its first real mission at the end of 2025 and bring it back to Earth by 2030, Matt Gialich, co-founder of the start-up, told the American channel CNN in April. AstroForge claims to have 31 platinum-rich asteroids in its sights

The essential stage of the moon

With the signing of the Artemis Accords in 2020, providing for a human return to the Moon, the installation of a base and the exploitation of its resources, the prospect of exploiting extraterrestrial minerals has become more concrete."The Moon, c is clearly the essential step" before going further in the exploration of Mars and exploiting celestial bodies, summarizes Florian Vidal, recalling that the return to our natural satellite gives rise to a new global race involving China , Russia, India and the United Arab Emirates.

However, technological, financial and legal challenges remain, particularly regarding the repatriation of minerals to Earth. Some experts suggest exploiting asteroid resources there for scientific purposes. This could be used to power probes to extend their lifespan . For example, the Juice mission, which left in mid-April to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. The resources could also be brought back to our planet.

The urgency of the legal framework

Alongside technical and scientific considerations, there is the thorny question of ownership of resources from space. But is it even possible to take over an asteroid ?

On this, Armel Kerrest, professor of space law and vice-president of the ESA European Center for Space Law, is categorical: “On a legal level there are rules which were set in the 1967 treaty , which provides that celestial bodies cannot be the subject of appropriation.”

Several countries, such as the United States, Luxembourg, Japan and the United Arab Emirates, have adopted texts to regulate these activities. China, Russia and even Saudi Arabia are also in the starting blocks.

Indeed, the treaty stipulates that “outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, cannot be the subject of national appropriation by proclamation of sovereignty, nor by way of use or occupation , nor by any other means".

On a global scale, these legal questions "must be addressed urgently in order to avoid space wars for natural resources, estimates Ifri in a note from May 2023. These questions should ideally be resolved before embarking on mining and energy exploitation of space."