NASA’s mission to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, located in the asteroid belt, has revealed one of the largest known gold reservoirs in the universe, estimated at 27 quintillion tons, valued at $700 quintillion. Launched in October 2023, the Psyche spacecraft aims to map and analyze the asteroid’s composition, not mine it, with arrival expected in 2029. This asteroid, potentially a remnant of a failed planet’s core, contains iron, nickel, and gold, offering insights into planetary formation.

76K views · 263 reactions | The main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, observed by NASA's Lucy spacecraft in April 2025. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lucy/ | NASA Solar System Exploration | Facebook

64K views · 886 reactions | Today, NASA’s #LucyMission will fly by the main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson as a final dress rehearsal for Lucy’s main targets, the never-before-explored Jupiter Trojan asteroids. Follow the encounter play-by-play today with @NASASolarSystem on X or Instagram stories. | NASA Solar System Exploration | Facebook