Post by @AkaSci@fosstodon.org

Mars as seen by the NASA Psyche spacecraft around May 15 when it performed a gravity-assist flyby of the red planet, on its way for rendezvous with asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Psyche flew NE to SW across Mars during close approach.

The flyby also provided an opportunity to test its various instruments such as the imager, the magnetometer, and the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_cH5-daLjg&t=27s

For more info on the Mars flyby, see
https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/116575437948330475
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2026/07/17/nasas-psyche-mission-delivers-mars-flyby-data-time-lapse-video/
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NASA Science

NASA’s Psyche Mission Delivers Mars Flyby Data, Time-lapse Video

When NASA’s Psyche spacecraft flew by Mars for a gravity assist on May 15, 2026, it gave the mission team an opportunity to test instruments and prep for science they’ll conduct when reaching the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in 2029, and collect images and a time-lapse video of the Mars encounter.

2 months ago

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will swing by Mars on Friday, May 15, around 19:27 UTC, passing ~4,500 km from the planet’s surface at ~19,848 km/h.

It will steal some energy from Mars and get a gravitational boost to speed up and adjust its trajectory toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, for rendezvous in Aug 2029.

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2026/05/08/nasas-psyche-mission-to-fly-by-mars-for-gravity-assist/

Check out these threads for more info on the mission -
https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/111227821265670490
https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/111235410515257631
https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/114430022259288973
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AkaSci 🛰️

@AkaSci@fosstodon.org 19 hours ago

Image of Martian surface captured by NASA’s Psyche spacecraft during the its flyby of Mars on May 15, 2026.

This is an enhanced-color mosaic created from 4 individual images taken over 6 minutes moving NE to SW. The imager used its near-infrared, green, and blue filters, which helped to reveal highly contrasting craters, ridges, wind streaks, and volcanic plains materials on the surface.

The approx. location of the image area is shown on the map.

https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-images-details-of-martian-surface-during-flyby/
#Science
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1. Map of Mars with area imaged by Psyche highlighted. Annotated with locations of lander and rovers.
Base map source: https://marsatlas.org/mars/maps
Annotations by me.

2. Enhanced-color mosaic created from four individual images acquired on May 15, 2026, during the spacecraft’s flyby of Mars. — 1. Map of Mars with area imaged by Psyche highlighted. Annotated with locations of lander and rovers. Base map source: https://marsatlas.org/mars/maps Annotations by me. 2. Enhanced-color mosaic created from four individual images acquired on May 15, 2026, during the spacecraft’s flyby of Mars.

NASA Science

NASA’s Psyche Mission Images Details of Martian Surface During Flyby

Captured by the multispectral imager instrument on NASA’s Psyche mission, this is an enhanced-color mosaic created from four individual images acquired on May