NASA Uses Mars' Gravity to Accelerate Psyche Mission to Asteroid 16 Psyche
NASA’s mission is once again in the spotlight after the Psyche spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mars as part of its journey to the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche. This flyby was also visualized interactively through NASA’s official “Eyes on the Solar System” platform.
NASA explained that Psyche will pass approximately 2,800 miles or 4,500 kilometers from the surface of Mars on May 15, 2026. This maneuver is designed to utilize Mars’ gravity to accelerate the spacecraft and alter its trajectory towards the Psyche asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Through the official “Eyes on the Solar System” platform, the public can view a three-dimensional simulation of Psyche’s journey as it approaches Mars. NASA stated that this visualization was created to allow the public to follow the spacecraft’s path in real-time and understand how gravity assist works in space missions.
The platform shows the position of the Psyche spacecraft, its orbital direction, and the moment when Mars’ gravity is used to propel the spacecraft faster towards its final target, the 16 Psyche asteroid.
NASA also released images of Mars in the shape of a thin crescent, taken by Psyche a few days before the flyby. These images show Mars from an unusual angle, as the spacecraft approached the planet from the night side with very little illumination.
In addition to accelerating the journey, the Mars flyby is being used by NASA to test and calibrate the scientific instruments on board the spacecraft. Psyche will take thousands of images of Mars using a multispectral imager before it is used when approaching the Psyche asteroid in 2029.
Scientists also plan to use this moment to search for possible thin dust rings around Mars, which are believed to originate from micrometeorite impacts on the moons Phobos and Deimos.
The 16 Psyche asteroid is one of the most interesting objects in the solar system because it is believed to be the metallic core of an ancient planet that failed to form completely billions of years ago. The object is estimated to be rich in iron and nickel.
The Psyche spacecraft was launched in October 2023 and is expected to arrive at its target asteroid in 2029. Once there, NASA will study the composition, magnetic field, and structure of the asteroid for about two years.
Many space enthusiasts on social media have called the images of the crescent Mars from the Psyche spacecraft one of the most unique space visuals of the year, as it shows the thin atmosphere of Mars glowing from millions of kilometers away.
Source: NASA
Launched in October 2023, Psyche uses a solar-electric propulsion system fueled by xenon to travel the long distance to the main asteroid belt.