NASA Psyche Spacecraft Has Made a Close Approach to Mars

The mission of the NASA Psyche spacecraft began at the end of 2023 thanks to a launch with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Over the months, it has already undergone several tests, such as transmitting data using an optical connection (infrared laser) to both NASA and ESA sites. The spacecraft has captured an image of Earth and the Moon from a distance of 290 million kilometers, although its main goal remains to reach the metallic asteroid 16-Psyche by 2029.

To successfully enter orbit around its target, the NASA Psyche spacecraft performed a close flyby of Mars in recent hours, using the planet's gravity for a gravitational slingshot. Specifically, the spacecraft came about 4,500 km from the surface of the Red Planet, traveling at around 19,848 km/h.

NASA Psyche and Images of Mars

One of the most interesting images captured during this period shows Mars as a "lit crescent" while the spacecraft was approaching. The brighter area is sunlight reflected from the daytime side of the planet, passing through its atmosphere. Some irregularities in the crescent can be noticed, likely related to clouds and suspended dust in the atmosphere.

NASA Psyche used its camera with a panchromatic filter from the multispectral instrument, setting an exposure time of 2 milliseconds. This was due to the strong sunlight, as longer exposure times would have produced poorer quality images (which is why not many stars are visible).

In the coming days, new images of the Martian surface captured by NASA Psyche's instruments may be released. These images are not truly useful for scientific purposes regarding the Red Planet, but rather engineering tests to check the functionality of the onboard instruments.

Simulated View of the Spacecraft's Positioning Relative to the Planet

As mentioned, the NASA Psyche spacecraft will reach the metallic asteroid 16-Psyche by the end of July 2029, with the scientific mission starting in August of the same year. The main mission will last two years, during which the spacecraft will orbit the celestial object, collecting images and data using a magnetometer, a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and a multispectral camera.

16-Psyche could be the core (or part of it) of a small planet in formation. Its dimensions are approximately 280 meters at its widest point and it consists of various metals, particularly iron (but also gold). Studying an exposed core would provide answers about the formation of planets both in the Solar System and in other planetary systems.