NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed within 4,609 kilometers of Mars, using the flyby to gather thousands of images of the planet’s surface and atmosphere during close approach.
The maneuver served a dual purpose: Mars’s gravity nudged the probe onto its path toward the asteroid belt, while onboard cameras, magnetometers and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers were calibrated against the planet’s terrain and atmosphere.
Released images show rugged Martian terrain, craters and the south polar cap, where water ice is present, giving mission teams early data to test image-processing tools planned for use at asteroid Psyche.
After the flyby, the spacecraft’s trajectory shifted by 1 degree and its speed reached 1,600 kilometers per hour, with arrival at the metallic asteroid Psyche targeted for August 2029.
Once there, the probe will orbit and map the asteroid—thought to be part of a planetesimal core—to help scientists better understand how rocky planets, including Earth, formed internally.
What hurdles must Psyche overcome during its three-year cruise before its 2029 asteroid rendezvous?
If asteroid Psyche is not a planetary core, what could its metallic nature reveal about our solar system's chaotic origins?