Psyche’s High-Resolution View of Mars’ South Pole
NASA's Psyche mission has captured the highest-resolution image of Mars' south polar cap, revealing its water ice-rich surface. The image, taken on May 15, 2026, shows a scale of approximately 0.7 miles per pixel. Following this close approach, the spacecraft will continue its journey to the asteroid belt, aiming to orbit the asteroid Psyche by August 2029.
- ▪The image of Mars' south polar cap was captured by NASA's Psyche mission.
- ▪It has a resolution of about 0.7 miles per pixel and covers an area over 430 miles wide.
- ▪The spacecraft will use solar-electric propulsion to reach the asteroid belt by August 2029.
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Photojournal NavigationSciencePhotojournalPsyche’s High-Resolution...Photojournal HomePhotojournal SearchLatest ContentGalleriesFeedbackRSSAbout 1 Min Read Psyche’s High-Resolution View of Mars’ South Pole PIA26773 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Image Addition Date:05/19/2026 Downloads Psyche’s High-Resolution View of Mars’ South Pole PNG (1.09 MB) Description This is the highest-resolution view of the water ice-rich south polar cap of Mars captured by NASA’s Psyche mission after it made its close approach with the planet for a gravity assist. The image scale is around 0.7 miles per pixel (1.14 kilometers per pixel). The cap itself extends across more than 430 miles (700 kilometers). The image was acquired with Imager A on May 15, 2026, at about 1:53 p.m. PDT.
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