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Psyche Mars gravity assist maneuver & SpaceX CRS-34 ISS resupply launch - Space News (May 15, 2026)
Published 6 days, 9 hours ago
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Episode Transcript
Psyche Mars gravity assist maneuver
Our top story involves a celestial dance happening as we speak. NASA's Psyche spacecraft is performing a gravity assist maneuver around Mars this very moment. Picture it as a cosmic slingshot. The spacecraft is streaking past Mars at just 4,500 kilometers above the surface—closer than Mars's own moons—to borrow momentum from the planet's orbit. This elegant trick accelerates Psyche without burning precious fuel. The real prize is ahead: asteroid 16 Psyche, a metallic world that might be the exposed iron core of an ancient protoplanet. Understanding its composition could fundamentally change how we think about planetary birth. Beyond the speed boost, the mission team is calibrating instruments and searching for subtle dust rings around Mars, making this a scientifically productive encounter.
SpaceX CRS-34 ISS resupply launch
Later this evening at 6:05 PM Eastern Time, expect another milestone moment. SpaceX is launching its 34th Commercial Resupply mission to the International Space Station. Weather forced them to scrub the original attempt two days ago, but today's window looks promising. The uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will carry roughly 6,500 pounds of cargo, and here's what makes it noteworthy: among the experiments is a bone scaffold made from wood. Researchers belie
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Today's topics:
Psyche Mars gravity assist maneuver - NASA's Psyche spacecraft performs a critical gravity assist flyby of Mars today, passing just 4,500 kilometers above the surface to gain speed toward asteroid 16 Psyche for studying planetary formation.
SpaceX CRS-34 ISS resupply launch - SpaceX launches its 34th Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station today at 6:05 PM EDT with 6,500 pounds of experiments and supplies after a weather delay.
Asteroid 2026 JH2 close approach - A basketball court-sized asteroid 2026 JH2 will safely pass Earth on May 18th at 90,000 kilometers away, offering stargazers a rare viewing opportunity through small telescopes.
SMILE mission magnetosphere research - The joint European-Chinese SMILE mission launches May 19th to study Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind interactions using X-ray and ultraviolet cameras for unprecedented geomagnetic storm understanding.
Starship V3 first test flight - SpaceX's new Starship V3 generation megarocket will debut on Flight 12 May 19th with upgraded Raptor 3 engines and autonomous heat shield inspection capabilities.
James Webb primitive galaxy discovery - James Webb Space Telescope discovers ultra-faint primitive galaxy LAP1-B from 13 billion years ago, providing rare evidence of the universe's first stars and Population III stellar explosions.
May skywatching events calendar - May 2026 offers skywatching highlights including Venus-Moon conjunction May 18th and a rare Blue Moon micromoon on May 31st visible to the naked eye.
Episode Transcript
Psyche Mars gravity assist maneuver
Our top story involves a celestial dance happening as we speak. NASA's Psyche spacecraft is performing a gravity assist maneuver around Mars this very moment. Picture it as a cosmic slingshot. The spacecraft is streaking past Mars at just 4,500 kilometers above the surface—closer than Mars's own moons—to borrow momentum from the planet's orbit. This elegant trick accelerates Psyche without burning precious fuel. The real prize is ahead: asteroid 16 Psyche, a metallic world that might be the exposed iron core of an ancient protoplanet. Understanding its composition could fundamentally change how we think about planetary birth. Beyond the speed boost, the mission team is calibrating instruments and searching for subtle dust rings around Mars, making this a scientifically productive encounter.
SpaceX CRS-34 ISS resupply launch
Later this evening at 6:05 PM Eastern Time, expect another milestone moment. SpaceX is launching its 34th Commercial Resupply mission to the International Space Station. Weather forced them to scrub the original attempt two days ago, but today's window looks promising. The uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will carry roughly 6,500 pounds of cargo, and here's what makes it noteworthy: among the experiments is a bone scaffold made from wood. Researchers belie