NASA's Psyche automated interplanetary station has transmitted to Earth a series of images of Mars captured during its close approach to the planet for a gravity maneuver. The images were obtained between May 2 and 15, 2026 and combined into a composite image demonstrating the gradual enlargement of the planet's visible disk as the spacecraft approached. Due to the high phase angle at which Psyche approached Mars, the planet appeared as a thin crescent during these days, illuminated by sunlight reflected from its surface. The gravity maneuver at Mars is an important stage of the Psyche mission, which aims to study the namesake metallic asteroid in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Using Mars's gravity allows the probe to correct its trajectory and velocity without significant fuel expenditure, which is critical for the subsequent long journey to the asteroid. The Psyche mission, launched by NASA, is aimed at studying an unusual celestial body that, according to scientists' assumptions, may represent an exposed metallic core of a protoplanet. The images obtained during the Mars flyby not only document the mission's progress but also provide additional data about the planet's appearance under unusual lighting conditions.