Nasa's Psyche spacecraft has used Mars' gravity to accelerate toward its target asteroid. The maneuver occurred on May 15 when the probe passed close to the planet.
The spacecraft flew within 2,864 miles of the Martian surface. This gravitational assist increased its speed by about 1,000 mph and adjusted its path toward the asteroid belt without using extra fuel. Engineers verified the outcome through radio signals received by Nasa's Deep Space Network.