Lucy
The first mission to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
What is Lucy's Mission?
Lucy is the first spacecraft to explore a group of asteroids known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
These asteroids are remnants of our early solar system. They are trapped in stable orbits associated with – but not close to – the giant planet Jupiter.
Lucy's Science Goals
Trojan asteroids may hold vital clues to deciphering the history of our solar system.
Planet formation and evolution models suggest that the Trojan asteroids are likely to be remnants of the same material that formed the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), and thus serve as time capsules from the birth of our solar system over four billion years ago.
The Lucy Spacecraft
Lucy is more than 52 feet (16 meters) from tip to tip.
The spacecraft's huge solar panels are each close to 24 feet, or over 7 meters, in diameter. All of the instruments, and the 6.5 ft (2 meters) high gain antenna needed to communicate with Earth, are located on the spacecraft body.
Lucy's Asteroid Targets
| Asteroid | Flyby Date (Eastern Time) |
|---|---|
| Dinkinesh (pronounced DIN-ke-nesh) and a contact binary satellite Selam (SEY-lahm) | Nov. 1, 2023 |
| Donaldjohanson | April 20, 2025 |
| Eurybates (yoo-RIB-a-teez or you-ri-BAY-teez) and its satellite Queta (KEH-tah) | Aug. 11, 2027 |
| Polymele (pah-li-MEH-lee or pah-LIM-ah-lee) and its unnamed satellite | Sept. 14, 2027 |
| Leucus (LYOO-kus or LOO-kus) | April 18, 2028 |
| Orus (OH-rus) | Nov. 11, 2028 |
| Patroclus (pa-TROH-klus) and its satellite Menoetius (meno-EE-shus or meh-NEE-shus) | March 3, 2033 |
NASA’s Lucy Begins Camera Tests Ahead of 2027 Trojan Flybys
Preparing for the NASA Lucy spacecraft’s first Trojan asteroid encounters, mission scientists have begun instructing the spacecraft to turn its…
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Latest Lucy News
NASA’s Lucy Mission Provides Full View of Asteroid Donaldjohanson
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Images Asteroid Donaldjohanson
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Completes Asteroid Donaldjohanson Flyby
