Psyche flies past Mars for a gravity assist toward the metal asteroid

NASA/Psyche

Psyche passed about 2,864 miles (4,600 km) above Mars. The planet's gravity added roughly 1,000 mph and shifted the spacecraft's orbit around the Sun by about a degree, setting it up for arrival at asteroid Psyche in 2029.

• The team used the pass to check the cameras and Deep Space Network tracking.
• Arrival at the asteroid is due by August 2029.
• In orbit, a magnetometer, gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer and imager will study its makeup.