NASA has released a timelapse video from the Psyche spacecraft showing its close approach to Mars in May. The images capture the red planet's crescent shape, surface details and icy south pole during the gravity-assist maneuver.
The spacecraft began its approach to Mars on May 2 and reached its closest point on May 15. It used the encounter to gain speed and adjust its path toward the asteroid Psyche while conserving propellant.
Psyche captured thousands of images with its multispectral imager during the flyby. NASA stitched the images into a timelapse released on Friday that shows the full sequence of the encounter.
"The imager performed brilliantly, delivering some rarely seen views of the red planet," said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University. He added that the data also allowed the team to test calibration and detect the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos from a distance.
The spacecraft remains on course to reach the asteroid Psyche in 2029.