NASA's Psyche swings by Mars on 2.2 billion mile journey
Technology
NASA's Psyche spacecraft swung by Mars on May 15, 2026, coming within about 4609km of the planet.
By using Mars's gravity as a slingshot, Psyche picked up speed and changed course: no extra fuel needed.
This clever move keeps it on track for its epic 2.2-billion-mile journey to a rare metal-rich asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.
Psyche instruments tested and trajectory confirmed
During the flyby, engineers tested Psyche's cameras and sensors, snapping cool shots like a crescent-shaped Mars and long wind streaks in the Syrtis Major region.
Radio signals confirmed Psyche is on the right trajectory and Psyche is set to reach its target, a 173-mile-wide asteroid believed to be an exposed core of a planetesimal, in July 2029.