Mars Exploration News
MARSDAILY
Visiting Mars on the Way to the Outer Solar System
illustration only
Visiting Mars on the Way to the Outer Solar System
by Roger Wiens, PI SuperCam, CI SHERLOC
Pasadena CA (JPL) Mar 30, 2025

Recently Mars has had a few Earthly visitors. On March 1, NASA's Europa Clipper flew within 550 miles (884 kilometers) of the Red Planet's surface on its way out to Jupiter. On March 12, the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft flew within about 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) of Mars, and only 300 kilometers from its moon, Deimos. Hera is on its way to study the binary asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos. Next year, in May 2026, NASA's Psyche mission is scheduled to buzz the Red Planet on its way to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, coming within a few thousand kilometers.

Why all these visits to Mars? You might at first think that they're using Mars as an object of opportunity for their cameras, and you would be partially right. But Mars has more to give these missions than that. The main reason for these flybys is the extra speed that Mars' velocity around the Sun can give them. The idea that visiting a planet can speed up a spacecraft is not all that obvious, because the same gravity that attracts the spacecraft on its way towards the planet will exert a backwards force as the spacecraft leaves the planet.

The key is in the direction that it approaches and leaves the planet. If the spacecraft leaves Mars heading in the direction that Mars is traveling around the Sun, it will gain speed in that direction, slingshotting it farther into the outer solar system. A spacecraft can typically gain several percent of its speed by performing such a slingshot flyby. The closer it gets to the planet, the bigger the effect. However, no mission wants to be slowed by the upper atmosphere, so several hundred kilometers is the closest that a mission should go. And the proximity to the planet is also affected by the exact direction the spacecraft needs to go when it leaves Mars.

Clipper's Mars flyby was a slight exception, slowing down the craft - by about 1.2 miles per second (2 kilometers per second) - to steer it toward Earth for a second gravity assist in December 2026. That will push the spacecraft the rest of the way to Jupiter, for its 2030 arrival.

While observing Mars is not the main reason for their visits, many of the visiting spacecraft take the opportunity to use their cameras either to perform calibrations or to study the Red Planet and its moons.

During Clipper's flyby over sols 1431-1432, Mastcam-Z was directed to watch the skies for signs of the interplanetary visitor. Clipper's relatively large solar panels could have reflected enough sunlight for it to be seen in the Mars night sky, much as we can see satellites overhead from Earth. Unfortunately, the spacecraft entered the shadow of Mars just before it came into potential view above the horizon from Perseverance's vantage point, so the sighting did not happen. But it was worth a try.

Meanwhile, back on the ground, Perseverance is performing something of a cliff-hanger. "Sally's Cove" is a relatively steep rock outcrop in the outer portion of Jezero crater's rim just north of "Broom Hill." Perseverance made an approach during March 19-23, and has been exploring some dark-colored rocks along this outcrop, leaving the spherules behind for the moment. Who knows what Perseverance will find next?

Related Links
Europa Clipper
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
MARSDAILY
Mars climate contrast deepens with new atmospheric wave study
Paris, France (SPX) Mar 26, 2025
Atmospheric waves, which resemble ripples that spread across water surfaces, have long intrigued scientists for their role in planetary climate systems. A new international study titled "Atmospheric Gravity Waves in Mars' Lower Atmosphere: Nadir Observations From OMEGA/Mars Express Data" takes a deep dive into these features on Mars, uncovering major distinctions from Earth. Leveraging data from the OMEGA instrument aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter, researchers cataloged and ... read more

MARSDAILY
Space Applications drives lunar mobility forward with new rover initiatives

Lunar soundwave tech offers new hope for extracting Moon ice

NASA proves dust shield works in lunar environment

GITAI to Design Robotic Arm for JAXA Crewed Lunar Rover

MARSDAILY
Space station advances muscle and semiconductor science

China highlights major strides in moon research and exploration

China's Galactic Energy expands Yunyao satellite network with successful launch

Shenzhou XIX astronauts complete third spacewalk outside Tiangong

MARSDAILY
In the asteroid belt a mudball meteorite defied the odds

NASA Webb Measures Size and Surface of Near-Earth Asteroid 2024 YR4

Key Component for NASAs NEO Surveyor Returns to JPL

Meteorite origins mapped to regions of asteroid belt

MARSDAILY
20 years of Hubble data reveals evolving weather patterns on Uranus

NASA's Hubble Telescope May Have Uncovered a Triple System in the Kuiper Belt

NASA's Europa Clipper Leverages Mars for Critical Gravity Assist

Oort cloud resembles a galaxy, new study finds

MARSDAILY
Tidal energy data aids SwRI scientists in unraveling Titan's composition and orbital shifts

SwRI experiments validate theories about Titan's atmospheric sustainability

MARSDAILY
IRIDE satellite captures first high resolution image over Italy

ESA's mini weather mission exceeds expectations

Planet collaborates with ESA to advance Greek satellite services

Clouds and conspiracies: concerns over push to make rain

MARSDAILY
Safely back on Earth, once-stranded US astronauts ready to fly again

Delft and Brown researchers unveil ultrathin sails for laser propulsion in space

ISS National Lab unveils startup accelerator to drive innovation in orbit

SpaceX to launch private astronauts on first crewed polar orbit

MARSDAILY
How calcium may have guided early molecular directionality

Four Small Worlds Discovered Orbiting Nearby Star

Incredible Journey of Pristine Meteorite Reveals Survival Secrets

Fluorescent caves could explain how life persists in extraterrestrial environments

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.