NASA's Psyche spacecraft to race past Mars in hunt for clues about how Earth was formed

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed a close Mars flyby to use the planet’s gravity for a speed and course correction.

The maneuver helps steer Psyche toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, which it is due to reach in 2029.

NASA also used the flyby to test the spacecraft’s instruments and compare data with Mars missions already in orbit and on the surface.

The mission is a key navigation milestone that could help scientists better understand how rocky planets, including Earth, formed.