NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched in October 2023, successfully completed a flyby of Mars on May 15, 2024, capturing unique images and gaining momentum for its long journey to Asteroid 16 Psyche. The spacecraft approached within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of Mars, utilizing the planet's gravity as a slingshot to increase its speed by 1,000 miles per hour. This maneuver is part of a strategic plan to save propellant and adjust its trajectory for the 2.2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers) journey to the asteroid, expected to arrive in August 2029. During the flyby, Psyche's cameras took thousands of photos, showcasing Mars in various lighting conditions, including its crescent and nearly full views. Jim Bell, the imager instrument lead, emphasized the importance of this calibration for ensuring the spacecraft's instruments perform optimally when they reach the asteroid. The Psyche mission aims to provide insights into the metallic asteroid, which may be the exposed core of a primordial planetary building block, offering a glimpse into the interiors of planets like Earth and Mars.