NASA’s Psyche spacecraft uses Mars as a giant slingshot toward a mysterious metal world
Key takeaways
- NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully completed a close flyby of Mars, using the planet's gravity to gain speed and redirect its path toward the asteroid Psyche.
- The maneuver sends Psyche on a direct route toward its target in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- "We've confirmed that Mars gave the spacecraft a 1,000 mile-per-hour boost and shifted its orbital plane by about 1 degree relative to the Sun.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully completed a close flyby of Mars, using the planet's gravity to gain speed and redirect its path toward the asteroid Psyche. On May 15, the spacecraft passed within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the Martian surface, receiving a crucial gravitational assist without using additional onboard fuel.
The maneuver sends Psyche on a direct route toward its target in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. After the flyby, engineers confirmed the spacecraft was exactly where it needed to be by analyzing radio communications between Psyche and NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN), the agency's worldwide communications system for deep space missions.
"Although we were confident in our calculations and flight plan, monitoring the DSN's Doppler signal in real time during the flyby was still exciting," said Don Han, Psyche's navigation lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "We've confirmed that Mars gave the spacecraft a 1,000 mile-per-hour boost and shifted its orbital plane by about 1 degree relative to the Sun. We are now on course for arrival at the asteroid Psyche in summer 2029."