Explanation:
Solar System bodies make deep space exploration more fuel efficient!
TodayБs video
shows
the Psyche spacecraft
gaining speed and changing its trajectory with minimal fuel spent due to a
gravity assist
from Mars in May 2026. Mars has an average orbital speed of almost
87,000 km/h (54,000 mph) around the Sun. Its orbital motion and its gravity allowed Mars to
pull Psyche along with it, increasing the spacecraftБs speed. Gravity assists have been used since 1959Бs
Luna 3 mission
to allow for spacecraft
(the Voyagers,
Cassini)
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 asteroidБs composition and magnetic field. This is the first mission to an asteroid
thought 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 witness
the Perseid meteor shower
uninhibited by the Moon!
