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Multispectral Imager

All articles tagged with #multispectral imager

space22 days ago•3 min saved

Psyche's Mars Flyby Tests Instruments Ahead of Metal World Mission

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft used a May 15, 2026 Mars flyby to test its science suite—gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, magnetometer and multispectral imager—during a gravity assist en route to asteroid 16 Psyche. Although the gamma-ray instrument didn’t detect Mars gamma rays from that distance, it confirmed the sensor’s operation by recording a flow of escaping neutrons; the magnetometer captured Mars’ bow shock field fluctuations; and the imager provided time-lapse and high-resolution views of the planet’s south polar region and features like the Huygens crater. The flyby also feeds into broader questions about Mars’ past magnetic field and core dynamics while setting the stage for 16 Psyche’s 2029 arrival to study whether it’s the exposed core of a protoplanet.

via Futura, le média qui explore le monde|

#gamma-ray-and-neutron-spectrometer #magnetometer #mars-flyby

science1 month ago•5 min saved

NASA's Psyche Mission Unveils Stunning Mars Flyby Ahead of Asteroid Rendezvous

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft released a video and images from its May 15, 2026 Mars flyby, using the opportunity to test its science payload while a gravity assist keeps it on track toward asteroid 16 Psyche, slated for 2029. The flyby yielded detailed views of Mars—from a crescent phase to craters and the south polar ice cap—and even helped spot Phobos and Deimos. Instruments including a multispectral imager, magnetometer, and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer operated as designed, providing calibration data and Mars science signals (including a bow-shock magnetic signature) to validate readiness for the asteroid rendezvous.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#gravity-assist #magnetometer #mars-flyby

space3 months ago•97 min saved

Psyche's Mars flyby yields stunning images en route to a metal-rich asteroid

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft used Mars as a gravity assist on its way to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, flying within about 2,864 miles of the planet and capturing thousands of images with its multispectral imager. The Mars flyby provided roughly a 1,000 mph speed boost and nudged the trajectory by about a degree, keeping the 2029 arrival on track and showcasing early image processing and deep-space communications testing (DSOC).

via Space|

#16-psyche #gravity-assist #mars-flyby