Psyche did a Martian flyby to get gravity assist from the red planet.
NASA has released the images Psyche took when it did a Mars flyby to get a gravity assist from the red planet on its way to the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche. One of the photos, which you can see above, shows the Huygens double-ring crater. Psyche took an image of the crater, measuring 290 miles in diameter, shortly after its closest approach with the planet. The various colors in the image are a result of the differences in the composition of dust, sand and bedrock, though NASA enhanced the colors to make them more pronounced.
Psyche was also able to take a high-resolution photo of the southern pole of Mars after its closest approach. The Martian south pole has vast fields of water ice that remain in that state all year round, and they show up as a bright spot in the image.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Before Psyche took those images, however, the spacecraft took a photo showing a crescent Mars. It was the view the spacecraft saw as it approached Mars from high up, as the planet’s surface reflected sunlight. NASA says the crescent appeared brighter and extended farther than the Martian surface because sunlight was also reflected by the planet’s dusty atmosphere.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
After getting gravity assist from Mars, Psyche will resume using its solar-electric propulsion system to continue its journey. The spacecraft started its six-year trip to its namesake asteroid back in October 2023. During the flyby, it got closer to Mars than the planet’s own moons and passed within 2,800 miles of its surface at its closest approach. The spacecraft is expected to reach its destination in 2029, after which it will spend two years orbiting and observing the asteroid. 16 Psyche is the largest known metallic asteroid in our solar system, and scientists believe data from observing it could give us insight about the formation of our own planet’s core.
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