You can see Mars as rarely viewed in new NASA spacecraft photos

NASA recently shared new images of Mars captured by the Psyche spacecraft during a flyby earlier this year. The spacecraft passed within 2,800 miles of the planet in May to execute a gravity assist maneuver. This maneuver uses the gravitational pull of Mars to adjust the trajectory of the craft and increase its speed as it heads toward a metal-rich asteroid.

Most images of Mars typically show the surface in standard detail. The new images from Psyche offer a different perspective of the red planet as the vehicle traveled toward the main asteroid belt. NASA teams spent weeks processing the data from the flyby before releasing the images to the public this month.

Psyche launched in October 2023. It carries a set of instruments designed to study the metallic asteroid 16 Psyche. Scientists believe this asteroid represents the core of an early planetary body. By studying its composition, researchers hope to gain information regarding the formation and interior of Earth.

Beyond the imagery, the flyby served an operational purpose for the mission. The gravity assist saved fuel and provided a necessary speed increase for the long distance remaining in the mission. The spacecraft reached speeds near 12,333 mph during the encounter. It is expected to arrive at its final destination in the asteroid belt by 2029.

NASA also released a timelapse video showing the approach and departure of the spacecraft relative to the Martian surface. The mission is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. These events demonstrate the complexity of deep space navigation where planetary bodies serve as tools to reach distant targets.