NASA’s Psyche probe slipped past Mars at a record‑close 2,800 miles on May 15, edging nearer than either of the planet’s moons. The maneuver was pre‑planned to harvest a gravity assist, shaving precious xenon propellant from the ion‑thruster’s budget. At roughly 12,300 mph, the spacecraft gained a speed boost and a trajectory that now mirrors the orbit of its target metal asteroid.

During its approach, Psyche’s cameras captured a thin crescent of sunlight‑lit Mars, sending the frames back via NASA’s Deep Space Network for later upload. These images will also refine the spacecraft’s navigation. Launched late 2023, the probe embarked on a six‑year, 2.2‑billion‑mile trek to reach 16 Psyche in July 2029, where it will spend two years mapping the asteroid’s surface and probing its composition.

Scientists hope the metallic world will reveal clues about planetary cores, offering a proxy for Earth’s hidden interior. Because drilling into a terrestrial core is impossible, studying Psyche could illuminate the violent collisions that forged the inner planets, and confirms the mission’s efficiency.