NASA’s Psyche spacecraft uses Mars flyby en route to asteroid (opens in new tab)

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed a close Mars flyby on May 15, passing 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) above the Martian surface to use the planet’s gravity for a trajectory change toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the maneuver avoided the need to spend onboard fuel and left the spacecraft on course to arrive at the asteroid in summer 2029. The flyby increased the spacecraft’s speed by about 1,000 mph and shifted its orbita...