NASA's Psyche Spacecraft to Perform Mars Flyby for Gravity Assist

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

Launched on October 13, 2023, the Psyche mission aims to study the metal-rich asteroid, believed to be the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planetesimal. The spacecraft employs a solar-electric propulsion system, using xenon gas thrusters to gradually build speed over its journey.

During the Mars flyby, all of Psyche's scientific instruments will be active. The spacecraft's multispectral imager is set to capture thousands of images of Mars, providing valuable data and allowing the mission team to calibrate instruments and refine imaging techniques in preparation for the asteroid encounter.

"We are now exactly on target for the flyby, and we've programmed the flight computer with everything that the spacecraft will do throughout May," said Sarah Bairstow, Psyche's mission planning lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The flyby also offers an opportunity for coordinated observations with other Mars missions. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey orbiter, and the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, along with the European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, will conduct simultaneous surface and atmospheric observations. Comparing data from these missions with Psyche's observations will aid in instrument calibration and enhance understanding of Mars' environment.

Following the gravity assist, Psyche will continue its journey to the asteroid belt, with arrival at the asteroid Psyche anticipated in late July 2029. The mission plans to spend approximately two years orbiting the asteroid, conducting detailed studies to gain insights into the early solar system and planetary formation processes.

"Ultimately, though, the only reason for this flyby is to get a little help from Mars to speed us up and tilt our trajectory in the direction of the asteroid Psyche," said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator for Psyche at the University of California, Berkeley. "But if all our instruments are powered up, and we can do important testing and calibration of the science instruments, that would be the icing on the cake."