NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Just Got an Assist from Mars on the Way to Its Asteroid Namesake

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed a planned close flyby of Mars, using the planet’s gravity to gain speed and adjust its route.

The gravity assist helped conserve xenon propellant while keeping Psyche on track for its target, the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche.

During the encounter, the spacecraft captured new images of Mars, including Phobos and Deimos, for later downlink via the Deep Space Network.

The maneuver improves Psyche’s journey to a rare asteroid that may offer clues to planetary formation and the core of Earth.