NASA's Psyche mission delivers Mars flyby data, time-lapse video - Phys.org
NASA's Psyche spacecraft successfully completed a Mars flyby, using the planet's gravity to adjust its trajectory toward the asteroid Psyche. The mission used the encounter to calibrate its scientific instruments, which performed as expected while gathering additional data on Mars.
Why it matters
This successful test confirms the spacecraft's readiness for its primary mission to study a metal-rich asteroid, providing a proof-of-concept for deep-space instrument calibration.
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Add as preferred source Captured by the multispectral imager instrument on NASA’s Psyche mission, this is an enhanced-color mosaic created from four individual images acquired on May 15, 2026, during the spacecraft’s flyby of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU The spacecraft aced its encounter with Mars. Now, mission scientists are studying a trove of data from the flyby in preparation for its arrival at asteroid Psyche in 2029.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft flew by Mars on May 15, using the planet's gravity to gain speed and slightly tilt its trajectory. The flyby also gave the team an opportunity to prepare for the science they will conduct when they reach the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in 2029.
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