Flight controllers confirmed the Psyche probe gained roughly 2.6 kilometres per second of speed during a Mars gravity assist completed on May 26, a maneuver that bent the craft toward its metal-rich asteroid destination while conserving fuel. Navigation teams matched closest-approach geometry to pre-flight predictions before resuming deep-space tracking.
Flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported that tracking data matched predictions for closest approach geometry and timing. The boost shrinks travel time to the mission’s primary destination in the main asteroid belt.
Psyche aims to study an object thought to be largely metallic, offering clues about planetary core formation. Engineers will continue health checks on instruments and propulsion systems following the high-speed encounter.
Gravity assists are standard in deep-space missions but require precise navigation to avoid unintended collision courses. Science teams will calibrate cameras and magnetometers using Mars observations gathered during the pass.
The mission remains on course for arrival at its namesake asteroid, where it will map composition and topography from orbit.
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Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/