This composite image, released on July 17, 2026, captures the increasing crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche spacecraft approached the planet to perform a gravity assist.
During its flyby on May 15, 2026, the spacecraft utilized Mars’ gravitational pull to increase its velocity and refine its trajectory. This encounter also provided a critical opportunity for the mission team to prepare for scientific operations ahead of the spacecraft’s scheduled arrival at the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in 2029.
View the timelapse of the encounter below.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
