Psyche launched on October 13, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. After nearly three years of slow, efficient solar‑electric cruising, it reached Mars for a gravity‑assist flyby on May 15, 2026, passing about 4,500 km above the surface.The reason the trip took three years is simple: Psyche wasn’t trying to get to Mars quickly — it was using a low‑thrust ion engine and following a long, energy‑efficient trajectory designed to meet Mars at the exact moment needed for the slingshot maneuver. | Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory | October 13, 2023
Related information: A Spacecraft Skimmed 2,800 Miles From Mars, And Captured This Breathtaking, Trippy Timelapse ( Article date: July 27, 2026 )
