NASA's Psyche probe will perform a gravity assist maneuver near Mars on its way to a metal asteroid

On May 15, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will make its closest approach to Mars, passing just 4,500 kilometers from its surface. The purpose of the “gravity assist” maneuver is to gain the necessary acceleration for the subsequent journey to the asteroid belt. 

This was reported by The Independent.

During the flyby, the spacecraft will activate all its scientific instruments and take thousands of images of the planet, allowing the team to test the equipment before arriving at its primary destination in 2029. 

In addition to technical tasks, this maneuver is of great scientific importance: several NASA and ESA rovers and orbiters will observe Mars simultaneously with Psyche to compare data. After the flyby, the probe will head toward the unique metallic asteroid Psyche, which scientists believe may be the exposed core of a protoplanet. Studying this object will help humanity better understand the processes of the Solar System’s formation and the origin of life on Earth.

Launched in 2023, the spacecraft has now completed half of its six-year journey. Psyche uses innovative xenon gas engines and solar electric propulsion. It is expected that after entering the asteroid’s orbit in 2029, the mission will last at least two years, providing unique data on the composition and history of one of the rarest objects in our cosmic neighborhood.

Previously, the Japanese probe Hayabusa-2 delivered organic compounds from the asteroid Ryugu. And NASA researchers have detected organic compounds, including sugar molecules, in samples brought back from the asteroid Bennu. 

The Curiosity rover has identified more than 20 types of organic molecules, including a nitrogen-containing compound structurally similar to the building blocks of DNA.