SourceAPOD: 2026 July 29 – Psyche Receives Gravity Assist from Mars
Gravity assists allow missions to travel further into space with less fuel. This enables the study of metal-rich asteroids that are essential building blocks for planets.
- Gravity assist occurred in May 2026
- Utilized Mars' orbital speed of almost 87,000 km/h (54,000 mph)
- Spacecraft tested instruments during flyby before scheduled 2029 asteroid arrival