NASA’s robotic Psyche spacecraft is scheduled to swing past Mars on Friday as part of its mission to reach a rare metal-rich asteroid. Multiple outlets report that the spacecraft performs a gravity assist, using a slingshot maneuver to adjust its trajectory while traveling deeper into space. The spacecraft’s approach speed is reported at 12,333 mph (19,848 kph), indicating a fast flyby close to the planet rather than orbit insertion.
The mission is named Psyche, matching the name of the target asteroid. NASA’s goal is to study the asteroid, which is believed to contain substantial amounts of metals. The flyby is a key step in the spacecraft’s journey, helping it gain speed and direction on the way to the asteroid later in the mission.
While the articles focus on the upcoming Mars encounter, they agree on the essential details: the spacecraft is Psyche, the event is a flyby rather than an orbit, it occurs on Friday, and it uses Mars’ gravity to continue its path toward the rare metal asteroid.
