The giant M-Type asteroid is thought to be the partial core of a small planet that failed to fully form during the earliest days of our solar system.

That would not only represent a momentous discovery, it’s key to Psyche’s potential astronomical value: NASA scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton calculated that the iron in the asteroid alone could be worth as much as $10,000 quadrillion(yes, you read that right).

It’s fitted with large solar panels, which make it as big as a tennis court once deployed, that will generate electricity to power the ion drive and the innovative new Hall thruster.

The spacecraft will test out something called “Deep Space Optical Communication,” in which messages are encoded on photons (particles of light) instead of radio waves.

The craft will also feature a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer to identify the types of materials in Psyche; a magnetometer to measure the asteroid’s magnetic field; and a multi-spectral imager to capture high-resolution snaps of it.

NASA says the mission team continues to complete testing of the spacecraft’s flight software in preparation for the October launch date.