Overview

• During its April 20 flyby, the Lucy spacecraft captured the first full, highest-resolution images of asteroid Donaldjohanson, resolving features as small as 130 feet across.
• The L'LORRI imager obtained the images minutes before closest approach despite reduced contrast caused by the Sun’s near-behind position.
• Surface analysis indicates the peanut-like shape formed from a collision between two bodies around 150 million years ago.
• Mission teams describe the Donaldjohanson encounter as a successful dress rehearsal that validated instrument performance and operational procedures.
• Lucy is now cruising through the main asteroid belt at over 30,000 mph as teams prepare for four scheduled Jupiter Trojan flybys starting with Eurybates in August 2027.