Asteroid Mission Captures Rarely Seen Perspective of Mars During Close Flyby
The flyby gave Psyche a 1,000-mile-per-hour boost and a full instrument rehearsal before the spacecraft reaches the metal-rich asteroid in 2029.
- On May 15, NASA's Psyche spacecraft performed a Mars flyby, passing within 2,864 miles of the surface and receiving a 1,000-mile-per-hour speed boost from the planet's gravitational pull.
- Launched in October 2023, the Psyche mission targets a 173-mile-wide metallic asteroid. Scientists suspect the object is the leftover core of an early planetary building block, potentially offering rare insights into rocky worlds like Earth.
- Jim Bell, Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University, stated the flyby provided "unique and important opportunities" to test cameras. The spacecraft captured thousands of images, including views of the Huygens crater.
- With Mars receding, Psyche has returned to its solar-electric propulsion system, which uses steady sunlight-powered thrusters for deep-space travel. Mission planners expect the spacecraft to spend three years reaching the asteroid in 2029.
- Arriving in 2029, Psyche will spend two years orbiting the asteroid to map its composition and structure. Data gathered may confirm whether the object is a planetesimal's core, offering scientists rare insights into rocky worlds.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Le Journal de Montreal
Le Journal de QuebecNASA's space probe took advantage of a close overflight of Mars to capture new images of the red planet.
By Ashley Strickland, CNN. A NASA spacecraft bound for an unusual metallic asteroid recently made a strategic flyby of Mars, and its cameras captured a rare perspective of the Red Planet during the journey. The Psyche mission, launched in October 2023, is headed to asteroid 16 Psyche, located in the outer part of the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The space rock has never been observed up close, but observations made…
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft Successfully Completes Mars Flyby; Now Headed Toward Asteroid Psyche for 2029 Arrival
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has now successfully completed its close flyby of Mars on the 15th of May 2026, coming within about 2,864 miles (~4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. The Mars flyby was carried out in order to use the Red Planet’s gravity as a boost mechanism so as to increase the spacecraft’s speed and also alter its orbital plane without making use of onboard propellant. Following the maneuver, the spacecraft is now confirmed to…
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