NASA Spacecraft Snaps Stunning Mars Views During Flyby
The Weather Channel • • science
Key Points:
- NASA's Psyche spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mars on May 15, passing about 2,900 miles from the planet's surface to gain a gravity assist that increased its speed by approximately 1,000 mph.
- The gravity assist maneuver adjusted Psyche's trajectory toward its target, asteroid 16 Psyche, located in the outer asteroid belt.
- During the flyby, Psyche captured detailed images of Mars, including its polar ice caps, surface features, and craters, which also helped calibrate the spacecraft's scientific instruments.
- Launched in October 2023, Psyche is on a 2.2 billion-mile journey scheduled to reach the metallic asteroid in summer 2029, where it will study the asteroid's composition and structure.
- Asteroid 16 Psyche is believed to be the exposed metallic core of an ancient planetary building block, potentially offering valuable insights into the formation of rocky planets' iron cores.