How Mars serves as a vital rehearsal for deep space exploration

Space · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before reaching its target, NASA's Psyche spacecraft used Mars as a high-stakes practice run. By performing a gravity assist and testing specialized instruments around the red planet, mission scientists gained a unique perspective on the tools meant to eventually uncover the chemical secrets of a metal-rich asteroid.

The Psyche mission is designed to investigate a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt, with an expected arrival in 2029. To ensure the spacecraft's instruments are ready for such a mission, NASA utilized Mars as a practice target. On May 15, 2026, the spacecraft performed a successful flyby of Mars, using the planet's gravity to increase its speed and adjust its trajectory toward its ultimate destination. This maneuver provided a necessary gravitational boost for the spacecraft. This encounter allowed researchers to examine observations as they prepare for the 2029 arrival.

At that moment, the probe flew 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometres) above the planet. While this distance was too great for the gamma-ray spectrometer to detect gamma rays from Mars, the neutron spectrometer successfully detected a count-rate enhancement of neutrons escaping from the Martian surface and atmosphere. This test is critical because, at the Psyche asteroid, these same instruments will identify chemical elements by measuring neutrons and gamma rays released when cosmic rays strike a surface. To obtain these findings, the magnetometer, imager, and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer groups labored extra hours. This successful test ensures the instruments perform as expected when they reach the asteroid.

The mission also provided a unique viewing geometry. Approaching from a high-phase angle, Mars appeared as a thin crescent, similar to a crescent Moon. This perspective allowed scientists to observe how sunlight scatters off atmospheric dust particles. Interestingly, mission specialists noted a gap in the crescent's glow, which they hypothesize may be caused by seasonal clouds or hazes over the planet's icy north polar cap, potentially blocking the dust's ability to scatter sunlight. The observation was captured using the multispectral imager's panchromatic filter. This specific technique required an exposure time of only 2 milliseconds.

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