New timelapse video shows NASA's Psyche spacecraft zooming by Mars

NASA recently shared a new timelapse video showcasing the Psyche spacecraft as it performed a flyby of Mars. Captured throughout the month of May, the footage tracks the probe as it approached the planet from a distance and used the gravity of Mars to increase its speed. This maneuver is part of the mission strategy to propel the spacecraft toward its final destination, a metal-rich asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter.

The flyby allowed engineers to test the spacecraft's internal systems during the trek. By aiming its sensors at a well-known target like Mars, the team confirmed that all three science instruments are functioning correctly for the upcoming research phase. The onboard multispectral cameras even identified the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, which provides data for future moonlet searches around the target asteroid.

Project managers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated that the navigation team hit the required trajectory to ensure a 2029 rendezvous with the asteroid. The spacecraft is currently in good condition and continues its path through the solar system. Future operations will involve resuming sustained thrusting with the solar-electric propulsion system to maintain this trajectory.

This mission is years in the making and represents a milestone in deep space navigation. While the primary goal is the metal asteroid, the data collected during this Mars encounter serves as a functional check for all onboard technology. The probe is now receding from Mars, leaving the planet behind as it cruises toward the next stage of its mission.