NASA's Psyche mission delivers Mars flyby data, time-lapse video

NASA's Psyche spacecraft, en route to study a metal-rich asteroid, has successfully completed a flyby of Mars and returned a trove of data, including a time-lapse video of the Martian surface. The flyby occurred on May 23, 2023, as the probe used Mars's gravity to adjust its trajectory toward its primary target, the asteroid Psyche. The maneuver brought the spacecraft within about 500 kilometers of the Red Planet's surface.

The data collected during the flyby includes images captured by the spacecraft's two cameras, which show details of Mars's surface such as craters and volcanic features. The time-lapse video, composed of 50 images taken over a 4-hour period, depicts the planet's crescent growing as Psyche approached. These observations are not only a bonus for planetary science but also serve as a test of the spacecraft's instruments ahead of its main mission.

This flyby matters because it demonstrates the successful operation of Psyche's science instruments in a real planetary environment, validating their readiness for the asteroid encounter. The mission, launched in October 2023, aims to explore the metallic asteroid Psyche, which may be the exposed core of an early planet. Understanding such bodies could shed light on the formation of rocky planets like Earth.

Key numbers from the event: The spacecraft passed Mars at a distance of about 500 km, traveling at a relative speed of roughly 3.4 kilometers per second. The time-lapse video spans 4 hours and was released by NASA on June 8, 2023. The Psyche mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is part of the agency's Discovery Program.

Background: The Psyche spacecraft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on October 13, 2023, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The Mars flyby was a planned gravity assist to save fuel and shorten the journey to the asteroid belt. Earlier in the mission, the spacecraft successfully deployed its solar arrays and performed initial instrument checkouts.

Next steps: The spacecraft is now on course for its rendezvous with asteroid Psyche, expected in August 2029. The data from the Mars flyby will be analyzed to refine instrument calibration and may also contribute to Martian science. The mission team will continue to monitor the spacecraft's health and trajectory as it travels through the inner solar system.