A NASA spacecraft on a mission to explore the rare metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche is preparing for a close flyby of Mars this week to gain a gravity boost on its journey deeper into space.
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The spacecraft, also named Psyche, will pass within approximately 2,800 miles of Mars on Friday while traveling at nearly 12,333 miles per hour. The maneuver is designed to alter the spacecraft’s trajectory and accelerate it toward the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter.
During the flyby, all of Psyche’s scientific instruments will remain active, capturing thousands of images and collecting data to help engineers test and calibrate the spacecraft ahead of its primary mission in 2029.
NASA said the mission will also involve coordinated observations by Mars orbiters and rovers, allowing scientists to compare atmospheric and surface data gathered during the encounter.
The spacecraft’s onboard cameras have already begun photographing Mars, capturing views ranging from a crescent shape during approach to a nearly full planetary image after the flyby.
Scientists believe asteroid Psyche may be the exposed iron and nickel core of an early planet that lost its outer layers following massive cosmic collisions billions of years ago.
Researchers hope the mission will provide valuable insights into the formation of planets and the early history of the solar system approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
Launched in 2023, the van-sized spacecraft uses solar electric propulsion powered by xenon gas thrusters and is expected to arrive at the asteroid in 2029, where it will spend two years studying the object in orbit.
