← ALL PROBES
DISTANCE FROM SUN1.0269 AU
DISTANCE FROM EARTH0.0117 AU
VELOCITY29.353 km/s
LIGHT TIME0 min
ACTIVE
UPDATED6h ago
1.0269
AU FROM SUN
DISTANCE
153,622,053 km
105,671
KM/H
VELOCITY
4 years, 240 days
MISSION DURATION
AND COUNTING
0
MINUTES LIGHT TIME
ONE-WAY SIGNAL DELAY
1,550
KG
LAUNCH MASS
8
TARGETS
Earth, Asteroid Dinkinesh, Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Lucy is a flyby mission by NASA / GSFC targeting Jupiter Trojans. Launched October 16, 2021. Currently 1.0269 AU from the Sun.
ABOUT LUCY
Lucy is the first mission to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids — ancient fossils of planet formation trapped in Jupiter’s orbit. Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will visit a record number of independent solar system targets, including a main belt asteroid and seven Trojans.
KEY DISCOVERIES
- Asteroid Dinkinesh is a contact binary with a satellite
- Satellite of Dinkinesh is itself a contact binary (first known)
TECHNOLOGY & FIRSTS
- First mission to Jupiter Trojan asteroids
- Will visit more individual targets than any previous mission
- Solar-powered at Jupiter distance
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (4)
L'Ralph (Color camera/IR spectrometer)
L'LORRI (Long-range camera)
L'TES (Thermal emission spectrometer)
Terminal Tracking Camera
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS
Launch Mass1,550 kg (3,418 lbs)
PowerSolar panels (51 m²)
Launch VehicleAtlas V 401
Launch DateOctober 16, 2021
ProgramDiscovery
MISSION TRAJECTORY
1
Earth
2
Asteroid Dinkinesh
3
Asteroid Donaldjohanson
4
Eurybates
5
Polymele
6
Leucus
7
Orus
8
Patroclus-Menoetius