![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e2b-pia26775-surface-color-m4kzus7e.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft<\/a> completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet\u2019s surface. During the flyby, it took this image and others. This representative color image, captured by Psyche\u2019s multispectral imager instrument, features the double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.<\/p>\n This flyby used a gravity assist from Mars to provide a critical boost in speed and to adjust the spacecraft\u2019s orbital plane without using any onboard propellant, sending it on its way toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche<\/a>. When it arrives in August 2029, it will insert itself into orbit, then map the asteroid and gather science data.\u202fIf the asteroid proves to be the metallic core of an ancient planetesimal, it could offer a one-of-a-kind window into the interior of rocky planets like Earth.<\/p>\n Learn more about the flyby and see more photos from the event.<\/a><\/p>\n Image credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU<\/em><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> NASA\u2019s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet\u2019s surface. During the flyby, it took this image and others. This representative color image, captured by Psyche\u2019s multispectral imager instrument, features the double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands. This flyby [\u2026] Continue reading
\nHQ Web Team <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"