NASA spacecraft to fly past Mars on voyage to rare metal asteroid
Summary
NASA's Psyche spacecraft will fly close to Mars to use the planet’s gravity to speed up and change its path as it travels to a rare metal asteroid. The spacecraft launched in October 2023 and will reach the asteroid in 2029 to study its metal-rich surface.Key Facts
- Psyche spacecraft launched in October 2023 on a 2.2-billion-mile mission to explore a metal-rich asteroid in the asteroid belt.
- The spacecraft will pass within 2,800 miles of Mars at about 12,333 miles per hour to gain a gravitational boost.
- This gravity assist helps save fuel and redirects Psyche toward its asteroid target.
- The asteroid Psyche is thought to be made mostly of metals like nickel and iron, possibly the core of a rocky planet.
- Psyche will orbit and study the asteroid’s surface for around two years starting in 2029.
- During the Mars flyby, Psyche will take images and test instruments, potentially capturing a time-lapse of Mars.
- The mission aims to better understand how planets like Earth formed by studying this unique metal world.
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