The spacecraft passed 4,609 kilometres above the Martian surface on May 15, using the planet’s gravity to accelerate by about 1,000 miles per hour and slightly alter the plane of its orbit. The manoeuvre placed Psyche on the required course for a rendezvous with its namesake asteroid in the summer of 2029.
Images collected throughout May were combined into a video showing Mars changing from a narrow illuminated crescent into a cratered globe before shrinking into darkness as the spacecraft departed. The sequence includes views of the south polar ice cap, wind-shaped craters and Huygens, a large double-ringed impact basin.
Psyche approached Mars from the planet’s night side at a steep angle relative to the Sun. Only about 4 per cent of the Martian disc was initially illuminated, while sunlight scattered through dust in the atmosphere created a bright crescent around its edge.
The encounter provided more than a navigational boost. Mission controllers used Mars, whose surface and surrounding space have been extensively measured, as a test target for Psyche’s multispectral cameras, magnetometer and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer.
All three instrument systems operated as planned. Their measurements were compared with established observations from spacecraft and rovers already studying Mars, allowing scientists to assess calibration, sensitivity and performance under changing conditions.
The gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer detected an increase in neutrons escaping from Mars near the point of closest approach. Cosmic rays striking planetary surfaces and atmospheres produce neutrons and gamma rays with energy signatures that can reveal the elements present.
Psyche’s altitude was too high for the instrument to detect gamma rays from the planet, but the neutron measurements were close to predictions. The result demonstrated that the spectrometer can identify variations it will need to study the chemical composition of the asteroid’s surface.
The magnetometer recorded its first magnetic signature from a planetary body since the spacecraft was launched in October 2023. It measured a sharp rise in magnetic-field strength as Psyche crossed the bow-shock region where the solar wind interacts with the magnetic environment around Mars.
That test was significant because the instrument must eventually search for remanent magnetism at asteroid Psyche. Evidence of an ancient magnetic field could support the theory that the object contains material from the core of an early planetesimal, one of the building blocks from which rocky planets formed.
Psyche’s pair of identical multispectral cameras also demonstrated their ability to capture surface features in several wavelengths and operate when bright light is scattered into the instruments. Engineers will use the observations to refine image processing before the spacecraft reaches the asteroid belt.
The cameras detected Mars’s two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, from a considerable distance. Spotting the moons served as a rehearsal for searches around asteroid Psyche, where scientists will look for previously unknown moonlets that could influence navigation and reveal details about the asteroid’s history.
Teams are comparing Psyche’s pictures with data collected by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, Mars Express, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and the United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe. The cross-check will help identify subtle differences produced by Psyche’s viewing position and instrument design.
The spacecraft entered the Martian encounter travelling at roughly 19,848 kilometres per hour. Mission planners chose the gravity assist to conserve xenon, the inert gas used by Psyche’s solar-electric propulsion system, while achieving a change in velocity and direction that would otherwise require substantial powered flight.
Before the flyby, controllers conducted a 12-hour trajectory-correction burn in February to refine the approach. The spacecraft then followed a programmed sequence of imaging, scientific observations and communications while its position was tracked through radio signals exchanged with the Deep Space Network.
Psyche is now travelling directly towards the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Sustained operation of its electric thrusters is scheduled to resume later this year as the spacecraft continues the long cruise towards its target.
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