Brandon Fletcher
The Psyche spacecraft successfully approached Mars in May while en route to its namesake asteroid, capturing stunning visuals in the process.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is advancing toward its destination in the asteroid belt after executing a gravity assist maneuver around Mars in May. The agency recently released stunning images from this fleeting encounter. As Psyche neared and passed by Mars, it utilized its multispectral imager to capture thousands of images. A timelapse video released by NASA on Friday compiles these images, showcasing the crescent shape of Mars upon arrival, intricate surface details, and the icy southern pole as the spacecraft departed.
According to Jim Bell, the lead for the Psyche imager instrument at Arizona State University, “The imager performed exceptionally well, providing some rarely seen perspectives of the red planet.” The spacecraft began its approach on May 2 and reached its closest point to Mars on May 15.
This maneuver not only increased the spacecraft’s speed but also adjusted its trajectory towards the asteroid Psyche, conserving fuel for the lengthy journey ahead. Psyche is projected to arrive at its namesake asteroid in 2029. Bell noted, “Beyond the stunning visuals, we successfully tested its calibration and sensitivity to scattered light, including identifying the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos from a considerable distance as part of our practice for the satellite search we will conduct at asteroid Psyche to locate any potential moonlets there.”
Daniel Mercer
