Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Prepares for Close Flyby of Asteroid Donaldjohanson

The April 20 encounter will test Lucy's instruments and tracking systems as it approaches within 596 miles at over 30,000 mph.

Image
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft’s first views of the asteroid Donaldjohanson. The asteroid is outlined with a square in the right image to guide the eye.
Image

Overview

  • Lucy will conduct its second asteroid flyby on April 20, 2025, passing within 596 miles of asteroid Donaldjohanson in the main asteroid belt.
  • The spacecraft will operate autonomously during the encounter, with communications suspended as it tracks the asteroid and collects data.
  • Donaldjohanson, a 2.5-mile-long fragment from a collision 150 million years ago, is named after the discoverer of the famous Lucy fossil.
  • This flyby serves as a critical rehearsal for Lucy's primary mission to explore Jupiter's Trojan asteroids starting in 2027.
  • Science data from the flyby, including detailed observations of the asteroid's size and shape, is expected to be received within days.