This isn't your typical space rock: There's a metal asteroid out there worth $10,000 quadrillion - USA TODAY

The asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt, could be made entirely of metal, according to a new study.

The asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, could be made entirely of metal, according to a study published this week.

"We’ve seen meteorites that are mostly metal, but Psyche could be unique in that it might be an asteroid that is totally made of iron and nickel,” study lead author Tracy Becker of the Southwest Research Institute said in a statement. .

An artist's conception of the asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.

The asteroid could be made entirely of metal, according to a new study published this week. (Photo: Maxar/ASU/P. Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech)

According to NASA, what makes the asteroid Psyche unique is that it appears to be the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet

Set to launch in August 2022, the Psyche mission will explore a metal-rich asteroid of the same name that lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter