NASA's Psyche spacecraft captures rare images of Mars during gravity-assist flyby
During a May 2026 gravity-assist maneuver, NASA's Psyche probe passed within 2,800 miles of Mars and returned a set of images showing the planet’s southern highlands, before continuing toward its target asteroid.
NASA released a series of images taken by the Psyche spacecraft as it performed a gravity-assist flyby of Mars in May 2026. The probe approached the planet to a distance of about 2,800 miles, using the encounter to gain speed for its six-year journey to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The images, processed and released on July 17, show details of the southern highlands, including craters, ridges, wind streaks and volcanic plains. An enhanced-color mosaic compiled from four separate frames was made available, along with a timelapse video of the spacecraft’s approach and departure.
"The flyby provided rarely seen views of the red planet," said Jim Bell, lead for the Psyche imaging instrument at Arizona State University.
The maneuver, described by NASA as a slingshot, increased the spacecraft’s velocity to roughly 12,333 mph and reduced the need for additional propellant, allowing the mission to stay on schedule for a planned arrival at the asteroid Psyche by the end of 2029.