Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Explanation:Solar System bodies make deep space exploration more fuel efficientToday’s videoshowsthe Psyche spacecraftgaining speed and changing its trajectory with minimal fuel spent due to agravity assistfrom Mars in May 2026.
Mars has an average orbital speed of almost 87,000 km/h around the Sun.
Its orbital motion and its gravity allowed Mars to pull Psyche along with it, increasing the spacecraft’s speed.
Gravity assists have been used since 1959’sLuna 3 missionto allow for spacecraft to reach farther than they could with fuel alone.
This assist helped the Psyche spacecraft on its journey to the Psyche asteroid, which it will reach in 2029.
While passing Mars, the spacecraft tested instruments that will analyze the asteroid’s composition and magnetic field.
This is the first mission to an asteroidthought to be largely made of metal, an essential building block for planets, rather than rock or ice.
Find dark skies and look up this August to witnessthe Perseids meteor showeruninhibited by the Moon
Tomorrow’s picture:a red Sun