A Spacecraft Skimmed 2,800 Miles From Mars, And Captured This Breathtaking, Trippy Timelapse

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft skimmed past Mars at about 2,800 miles altitude, capturing timelapse footage and images of the planet.

The flyby also served as a systems check, letting engineers test the probe’s instruments and refine navigation.

Mars’ gravity gave Psyche a speed boost on its journey to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.

The mission could help scientists learn more about planetary core material and how the early solar system formed.