Aboard the Atlas V 401 rocket last October 16, 2021, NASA's very own Lucy is embarking on a 12-year expedition to the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter to learn more about the roots and origins of the solar system.
NASA's Lucy Mission
According to NASA, the Trojans are among the majority of Lucy's targeted asteroids. They are groups of exotic ices and clusters of rocks that did not combine and turn into planets during the formation of the solar system. Nevertheless, these Trojans are remnants from the solar system's formation. Such Trojans encircle the sun in two swarms, with one preceding Jupiter's orbit around the sun while the other will follow the said orbit.
NASA reports that Lucy is the first to pay a visit to the Trojans. It is also the first to look at various independent targets across the solar system, with each one orbiting on its own.
The New York Times reports how two different dark asteroid clouds have only been assessed from a distance by specialists. While there are around a million asteroids that are thought to exist, only some 10,000 have been successfully pointed out.
The Hindustan Times reports that Lucy will be visiting seven different asteroids from 2025 to 2033. The craft will dive into such clusters and grasp close-up views of the intriguing Trojan asteroids as well as another small asteroid within the main asteroid belt in the solar system.
Why Will Lucy Look Around Jupiter But Not Visit the Planet Itself?
While Lucy is set to examine Jupiter's surrounding asteroids, it is not set to step foot on the planet itself. The Hindustan Times reports how Jupiter is a huge planet to the point where its gravity is capable of capturing various asteroids, the Trojans, as they move through their sun's orbit. Some of these asteroids could have been captured for billions of years.
The craft will pick up and follow various hints pertaining to the origins of the solar system that could be spotted across Jupiter. The Hindustan Times also reports that this is where NASA spacecraft Juno now orbits.
NASA reports that looking deeper into the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter from a close distance, will enable specialists to enhance the theories regarding the formation of planets within the solar system around 4.5 billion years ago. Such a study focus can also help them learn more about why these planets have their present-day configuration.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center aerospace engineer Jacob Englander, who participated in the trajectory design of Lucy, notes how it is like they are traveling through time.
While the craft was first conceived for a journey to focus on two different asteroids, its proportions significantly expanded thanks to timing and innovative engineering.
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