Nasa spacecraft launches for rare metal asteroid in first mission of its kind

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centre on Friday (John Raoux/AP/PA)

Nasa’s Psyche spacecraft launched on Friday on a six-year journey to a rare metal-covered asteroid.

Most asteroids tend to be rocky or icy, and this is the first exploration of a metal world. Scientists believe it may be the battered remains of an early planet’s core, and could shed light on the inaccessible centres of Earth and other rocky planets.