This flyby fine-tunes the path to a primordial metal world, useful context for a colleague or space enthusiast following deep-space missions.
NASA’s Psyche swings by Mars en route to metal world Story flow and key facts
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is making a close flyby of Mars, passing within 2,800 miles of the planet to gain a gravity assist on its journey to a rare metal-rich asteroid. The maneuver, occurring in May 2026, marks a key milestone in the six-year mission launched in 2023. All science instruments are active during the pass, capturing images of Mars to calibrate systems ahead of the main target encounter in 2029.
The spacecraft is headed to the asteroid Psyche, a 173-mile-long object in the outer asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Scientists believe it may be the exposed iron-nickel core of a protoplanet shattered by ancient collisions. If confirmed, studying it could offer unprecedented insights into the formation of planetary cores and the early solar system.
Psyche’s cameras are already returning images of Mars as a crescent on approach, with full-disk views expected afterward. The data will help refine instrument performance. Meanwhile, NASA’s Mars rovers and orbiters are conducting coordinated observations to support calibration. The spacecraft, powered by solar electric propulsion and xenon thrusters, will arrive at its destination in 2029 and orbit the asteroid for two years of study.
Facts
- NASA’s Psyche spacecraft performed a Mars flyby on May 16, 2026, passing within 2,800 miles (4,500 km) of the planet.
- The flyby used Mars’ gravity to slingshot the spacecraft toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, located in the outer asteroid belt.
- All science instruments were active during the pass, capturing crescent and full views of Mars to calibrate systems ahead of the 2029 asteroid arrival.
- The asteroid Psyche is roughly 173 miles long and may be the exposed iron-nickel core of a protoplanet, offering clues about early solar system formation.
- Launched in 2023, the solar-electric-powered spacecraft will reach its target in 2029 and orbit it for two years of study.
- NASA’s Mars rovers and orbiters conducted coordinated observations during the flyby to support instrument calibration.
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