Psyche Spacecraft Flies Close to Mars on Way to Metal Asteroid
Psyche used a close 2,800-mile Mars flyby to gain speed and test instruments en route to a metal-rich asteroid, with arrival and two years of study planned for 2029.
Scientific AmericanNASA is using Mars as a slingshot—and the photos will be stunning
PBS NewsHourNASA spacecraft to swing past Mars as it chases rare metal asteroid
CBS NewsNASA spacecraft to fly past Mars this week, on voyage to rare metal asteroid
ABC NewsNASA's Psyche spacecraft buzzing Mars on its way to a rare metal asteroid
Washington TimesNASA’s Psyche spacecraft buzzing Mars on its way to a rare metal asteroid
Overview
The Psyche spacecraft flew within 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) of Mars for a gravity assist while snapping thousands of images, NASA said.
Launched in 2023, the van-sized probe is midway through a six-year, 2.2-billion-mile journey that mission officials say will culminate with orbiting asteroid Psyche in 2029.
Mission scientists including Lindy Elkins-Tanton and Arizona State University's Jim Bell said the Mars flyby lets teams power all instruments, practice imaging and fine-tune calibrations with Mars orbiters and rovers.
Only a small percentage of objects in the asteroid belt are thought to be metal-rich, and scientists suspect Psyche may be an exposed nickel-iron core that can reveal early solar system history, mission teams said.
Operators will compile time-lapse images, search for moonlets and faint dust rings as practice, and use the flyby data to prepare for Psyche's arrival and two years of study beginning in 2029, mission scientists said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally. The report relies on factual mission details (distances, timeline, propulsion), attributes colorful language to scientists ("just plain beautiful photos"), and provides balanced context about the asteroid's scientific significance. There is minimal evaluative wording, few omitted perspectives, and emphasis stays on verifiable technical information.