NASA's asteroid-bound spacecraft Psyche is headed for an encounter with Mars on Friday (May 15) to get a boost from the Red Planet.

NASA's Psyche probe was headed for a close encounter with Mars on Friday and a ​planned gravity boost to set the spacecraft on its final course to the solar system's largest known metallic asteroid, ‌thought to be the remnant core of an ancient protoplanet.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will fly past Mars on May 15, 2026, using the planet’s gravity to accelerate toward asteroid Psyche.

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Named Psyche like the asteroid it's after, the robotic explorer will slingshot past the red planet at 12,333 mph (19,848 kph) on Friday

The spacecraft will use Mars's gravity for a speed boost on its way to a rare metal asteroid. Psyche is expected to reach its destination by the end of 2029.