NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Conducts Successful First Close Flyby of 'Dinky' Asteroid in Initial Testing of Instruments

NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully flies by small asteroid Dinkinesh, potentially revealing insight into early solar system history, testing tracking systems, and preparing for upcoming visit to Jupiter's Trojans.

On November 1, 2023, NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully conducted a close flyby of the small main-belt asteroid Dinkinesh, gaining insights about early solar system history.
The flyby served as a test run for the spacecraft's instruments and allowed the NASA team to adjust its approach to future Trojan targets, which are planned for the 2027 mission.
One of Lucy's goals is to examine the diversity of Jupiter's Trojans, a mysterious group of asteroids thought to be relics from the early solar system.
Despite difficulties with one of the solar panel arrays, Lucy performed well during the Dinkinesh flyby, validating the earlier decision to proceed with the mission as planned.
The information gathered from Dinkinesh could help scientists understand the changes main-belt asteroids undergo as they transform into near-Earth asteroids.
Overall, Dinkinesh's flyby was seen as not only an engineering test but also an exciting opportunity for planetary scientists to gather data on a small asteroid.