NASA’s Psyche spacecraft just used Mars as a cosmic slingshot

On May 15, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft flew just 4,609 km above Mars, using the planet’s gravity to gain about 1,600 km/h — without spending extra fuel.

The maneuver slightly changed Psyche’s orbit and put it on track for its real destination: asteroid 16 Psyche, a metal-rich world in the main asteroid belt. Arrival is planned for 2029.

But the flyby also gave scientists something unexpected: a rare crescent view of Mars. From Psyche’s angle, the Red Planet appeared as a thin glowing arc, with sunlight scattering through dust high in the Martian atmosphere. That glow extended farther than expected, giving researchers a useful test case for future imaging.

The flyby was also a full rehearsal. Psyche switched on its science instruments, tested its cameras, collected calibration data, and likely detected Mars’s bow shock — the region where solar wind crashes into the planet’s magnetic environment.

Why does this mission matter? Asteroid Psyche may be the exposed metallic core of an early failed planet. If that’s true, NASA is about to study something similar to the deep iron core of Earth — a place we can never reach directly.

A short visit to Mars. A big step toward the heart of a lost world.

Source: ScienceDaily / NASA JPL
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260525040421.htm