Tiny spacecraft is poised for an unprecedented deep-space mission [Video]

His venture may seem far out, but asteroid mining CEO Matt Gialich has no illusions. The engineer cofounded the bold California startup AstroForge in 2022 with the aim of hunting for precious metals in space, and he is all too aware that success is not guaranteed.And, quite frankly, he’s afraid.“I’m f**king terrified,” Gialich told CNN in a video interview earlier this month. “That’s the honest truth.”Related video above: NASA tracking Asteroid 2024 YR4, which could be heading toward Earth in 2032But fear, Gialich emphasized, is an element of the job that he believes AstroForge should embrace as the company prepares to launch its robotic spacecraft, Odin, on an asteroid flyby mission that will mark the company’s first attempt to scout for platinum in space.The probe is set to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 26.AstroForge’s spacecraft will ride alongside …