NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Executes Mars Flyby for Gravity Assist

NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched in October 2023, executed a close flyby of Mars on May 15, 2026, passing approximately 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) from the planet's surface at a speed of 12,333 mph (19,848 kph). This maneuver utilized Mars' gravitational pull to increase the spacecraft's speed and adjust its trajectory toward the asteroid Psyche, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

During the flyby, the mission team activated all scientific instruments aboard the spacecraft, capturing thousands of images of Mars to calibrate the multispectral imager and refine imaging techniques for the upcoming asteroid encounter. The spacecraft is approaching Mars from a high-phase angle, meaning that the planet appears only as a thin crescent, similar to a crescent Moon seen around its new Moon phase.

The asteroid Psyche, approximately 173 miles (280 kilometers) long and 144 miles (232 kilometers) wide, is believed to be composed largely of nickel and iron, possibly representing the exposed core of a proto-planet. Studying it could provide valuable insights into the early solar system and the formation of planetary cores.

The Psyche mission is expected to arrive at the asteroid in 2029 and will spend about two years orbiting the asteroid to take pictures, map the surface, and collect data to determine Psyche’s composition.