An artist’s illustration of the Trojan asteroids as they follow and lead Jupiter in its orbit. Today, Oct. 16, 2021, the Lucy spacecraft embarked on a 12-year mission to discover their secrets. Image by: NASA/JPL/Caltech.
This story is updated from the original version published Sept. 8, 2021.
By Brooke Edwards, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador
At 5:34 a.m., EDT, on Oct. 16, the Lucy mission departed Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 41 and rose to the sky. Its 12-year mission: to observe never-before-explored targets known as the Trojan asteroids.
In all, Lucy will boldly explore eight asteroids: seven Trojan asteroids and one asteroid in the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This will be the first time a spacecraft has visited the Trojans, asteroids which lead and trail Jupiter as the planet follows its orbital path. In a statement on the NASA website, the space agency declared: “No other space mission in history has been launched to as many different destinations in independent orbits around our sun.”
These asteroids are remnants of the formations of the outer gas planets. They also include mixtures of material from other celestial bodies. What makes them so fascinating is they offer a window to the past. Studying them will provide clues to the solar system’s origins (and Earth’s). For all we know, these tantalizing, carbon compound-packed bodies may harbor water beneath their surfaces.
Lucy’s 12-year path will include two close Earth flybys, using our planet’s gravity to slingshot the spacecraft between the Trojans. Lucy will reach the first asteroids in 2027. The Trojans are as far from Jupiter as Jupiter is from the sun. It is mind-blowing how vast space is!
During the next dozen years, many fascinating details will be revealed. The plan is for Lucy to continue flying between the asteroids after the mission ends. As in past missions, data might still be transmitted once the main objective is completed.
The mission was named for an early human skeleton dubbed “Lucy” found in Ethiopia in 1974. The mission’s name was also inspired by the famous Beatles’ song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. An interesting aside: an asteroid known as 4150 Starr was named for Ringo Starr, the Beatles’ drummer. His namesake is in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Onboard the spacecraft will be a time-capsule plaque containing inspirational messages by poets and artists meant for future space-faring humans. The time capsule will be displayed in a creative way, showcasing the coordinates of the solar system on the mission’s launch date. At the rate space technology is advancing, those finding the plaque may include the great-grandchildren of today’s Millennials.
You can stay up to date by following @NASA and @NASASolarSystem on social media or by subscribing to the agency’s daily newsletter. Mission updates will be provided on social media. In the coming years, we undoubtedly will know more about how we came to our place in space.
For more: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/main/index or www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/lucy-mission-faq
