16 Psyche
The golden goose of the solar system. 16 Psyche is an M-type (metallic) asteroid, believed to be the exposed iron-nickel core of an early planet that had its rocky crust blasted away by violent collisions billions of years ago.
Diameter
222 km
Composition
Iron & Nickel
Est. Value
$10,000 Quadrillion
Current Mission
NASA Psyche
A World of Metal
Unlike most asteroids which are made of rock or ice, radar observations indicate that Psyche is incredibly dense and highly reflective. If it truly is an exposed planetary core, it represents an unfathomable repository of industrial metals.
While often cited in the media as being worth "$10,000 Quadrillion"—enough to make every human on Earth a billionaire—bringing that metal back to Earth would instantly crash the global commodities market. Instead, Psyche's true value lies in In-Space Manufacturing. Providing raw iron and nickel for building massive space stations, habitats, and generational ships without the cost of launching steel out of Earth's gravity well.