The Psyche mission will fly by Mars tomorrow! (opens in new tab)

The Psyche spacecraft, launched in 2023, is headed toward a rare metal asteroid named Psyche. It will arrive in 2029, but in order to get there, it first has to make a close flyby of Mars to adjust its direction and pick up a boost of speed. On Friday, May 15, 2026, Psyche will make that flyby, coming within 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) of the red planet’s surface. That’s closer than Earth’s geostationary satellites. The spacecraft will be traveling at 12,333 mph (19,848 kph).