NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Captures Rare Image of Mars During Gravity Assist Maneuver
The Psyche spacecraft managed to capture a rare photo of the Planet Mars while passing at close range on Friday (15/05/2026). This moment occurred as the spacecraft performed a gravity assist maneuver to increase speed towards its main target, the metal asteroid Psyche.
The spacecraft, launched in 2023, made its closest approach to Mars at 15:28 US time, with a distance of only about 2,800 miles above the planet’s surface. This distance is closer than the Artemis II mission’s trajectory when it passed the Moon last month.
In this trajectory, Mars appears as a bright crescent that expands, a perspective rarely obtained by conventional space missions. Scientists speculate that this brightness was triggered by the scattering of sunlight on dust in the Martian atmosphere.
The principal investigator of the Psyche mission from the University of California, Berkeley, Lindy Elkins-Tanton, stated that this moment is a golden opportunity to test the spacecraft’s scientific instruments.
“This is truly a beautiful moment for all instruments to practice,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton.
In addition to testing the near-infrared imaging camera, the science team also tried to find the existence of a thin dust ring around Mars that may originate from the planet’s small moons. David Williams, deputy leader of the imaging team from Arizona State University, added that the quality of the photos produced includes detailed geological diversity of Mars.
“It really encompasses all of Mars’ geology,” said David Williams.
Psyche Travel Notes:
NASA also released images of Mars in the form of a thin crescent taken by Psyche several days before the flyby. The image shows Mars from an unusual angle.
Launched in October 2023, Psyche uses a solar-powered electric propulsion system fueled by xenon to travel long distances to the main asteroid belt.
The asteroid 2026 JH2 passed close to Earth at a distance of 2.1 million km. NASA confirmed that it is safe and can be observed using amateur telescopes.
NASA also released images of Mars in the form of a thin crescent taken by Psyche several days before the flyby. The image shows Mars from an unusual angle.
The NASA engineering team then tried various ways to release the rock. Initial attempts were made by vibrating the drill to detach the rock, but that method failed.
Launched in October 2023, Psyche uses a solar-powered electric propulsion system fueled by xenon to travel long distances to the main asteroid belt.
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