See NASA's Stunning New Images of Mars Captured During an Asteroid-Bound Spacecraft's Strategic Flyby

Carlyn Kranking· May 22, 2026 · 8:14 PM UTC ·4 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 17 views

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NASA's Psyche spacecraft recently completed a flyby of Mars, coming within 2,864 miles of the planet. This maneuver utilized Mars' gravity to increase the spacecraft's speed as it heads toward the asteroid Psyche, expected to arrive in summer 2029. During the flyby, Psyche captured thousands of images of Mars, providing valuable data for its scientific instruments.

Key facts

▪The Psyche spacecraft approached Mars on May 15, 2026, during its journey to study a metallic asteroid.
▪The flyby allowed Psyche to increase its speed by 1,000 miles per hour using Mars' gravity.
▪NASA plans to spend about two years studying the asteroid Psyche to understand its composition and origins.

Original article

Smithsonian Magazine · Carlyn Kranking

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See NASA’s Stunning New Images of Mars Captured During an Asteroid-Bound Spacecraft’s Strategic Flyby The Psyche mission, on its way to study an asteroid of the same name, approached within 2,864 miles of the red planet on May 15 Carlyn Kranking | Associate Web Editor, Science May 22, 2026 4:14 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source As the Psyche spacecraft approached Mars from its night side, the red planet looked like a crescent. NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU En route to the largest known metallic asteroid in our solar system, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft just got a boost from Mars—and a rare look at the red planet.

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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.

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