NASA's Psyche Probe Skims 2,800 Miles Past Mars for Gravity Boost and 2029 Asteroid Mission
Updated
Updated · Space.com · May 12
NASA's Psyche Probe Skims 2,800 Miles Past Mars for Gravity Boost and 2029 Asteroid Mission
7 articles · Updated · Space.com · May 12
May 15 will bring Psyche within about 2,800 miles of Mars, a close flyby designed to bend the spacecraft onto a better path toward asteroid 16 Psyche.
Mars' gravity will add to Psyche's 12,333 mph speed while saving xenon propellant, after a 12-hour trajectory-correction burn on Feb. 23 put the probe exactly on target.
Thousands of Mars observations are also planned to calibrate Psyche's multispectral imager and other instruments before the spacecraft reaches the main asteroid belt.
The flyby may also reveal a faint dust torus around Mars and help the team practice searching for tiny satellites—skills they hope to use around the 173-mile-wide asteroid in 2029.
Could the technology propelling this spacecraft pave the way for future human missions to Mars?
Is the asteroid Psyche a priceless planetary core or a completely different kind of cosmic object?
NASA Psyche’s 2026 Mars Flyby: Gravity Assist, Science Calibration, and the Quest to Unveil a Metal World
Overview
On May 15, 2026, NASA's Psyche spacecraft will perform a close flyby of Mars, using the planet's powerful gravity to boost its speed and precisely adjust its path. This gravity assist is a crucial step in Psyche's journey, allowing the spacecraft to save propellant and extend its mission life. By flying close to Mars, Psyche gains momentum, setting it on course for its main target, the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. This maneuver not only supports the spacecraft's long-term goals but also demonstrates the effectiveness of gravity assists in deep space exploration.