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NASA shows Psyche’s Mars flyby in stunning timelapse
NASA released a timelapse from Psyche’s May Mars flyby, showing crescent views, surface detail and the planet’s icy south pole.
Image: Engadget
NASA has released a striking timelapse from the Psyche spacecraft’s close pass by Mars in May, offering a fresh look at the red planet as the mission continues toward the asteroid Psyche in the asteroid belt.
The spacecraft captured thousands of images with its multispectral imager during the encounter. NASA said the video, shared on Friday, stitches those images into a single sequence that shows crescent Mars on arrival, detailed surface views during the flyby, and the planet’s icy south pole as Psyche moved away.
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“The imager performed brilliantly, delivering some rarely seen views of the red planet.”
Psyche began its approach to Mars on May 2 and made its closest approach on May 15. The flyby provided a gravity assist, giving the spacecraft extra speed and adjusting its path toward its final destination while saving propellant for the rest of the trip.
NASA expects Psyche to arrive at the asteroid in 2029. Bell said the Mars encounter also served as a systems test, helping the team evaluate the imager’s calibration and sensitivity to scattered light. It also let the spacecraft spot Phobos and Deimos from far away as practice for a future search for possible moonlets around the asteroid Psyche.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via Engadget
