NASA’s Lucy mission marked a significant milestone by successfully completing its first encounter with the asteroid Dinkinesh. Launched in October 2021, Lucy is on a 12-year journey to explore a total of 10 asteroids. Dinkinesh, a small asteroid located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, was the first of these encounters. The mission’s success is a significant step in unraveling the mysteries of our solar system.
Mission Objectives
Lucy’s mission differs from recent asteroid missions, such as OSIRIS-REx, which involved orbiting asteroids. Instead, Lucy conducts flybys of asteroids at a rapid speed of about 10,000 miles per hour. This approach allows the spacecraft to gather crucial data while conserving fuel for its extended mission.
Unlocking the Solar System’s History
The Trojan asteroids, including Dinkinesh, provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system. With over 7,000 known Trojan asteroids, these space rocks share an orbit with Jupiter and have remained as remnants from the early days of our solar system’s formation. By studying these asteroids, Lucy aims to peer back in time and understand the conditions that led to the current arrangement of our planets.
Dinkinesh: A Mysterious Space Rock
Dinkinesh, named after the famous Ethiopian fossil “Lucy,” is approximately half a mile (1 kilometer) wide. This small asteroid was discovered in 1999 by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program, a collaboration involving NASA, the US Air Force, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before Lucy’s encounter, Dinkinesh had only been observed as an unresolved smudge through telescopes.
Data Collection and Transmission
During its close approach to Dinkinesh, Lucy tested its suite of equipment, including color and black-and-white cameras, a thermometer, and an infrared imaging spectrometer to observe the asteroid’s surface. The spacecraft communicated with Earth through its antenna. Over the next several days, data and images collected during the flyby will be transmitted back to Earth, providing researchers with valuable insights into the asteroid’s composition and characteristics.
Significance of Dinkinesh’s Study
Studying Dinkinesh and other main belt asteroids can help scientists understand the connection between these space rocks and small near-Earth asteroids that could pose potential threats to our planet. The data from the mission will aid in determining the origins of these asteroids and how they relate to larger main belt asteroids.
Next Steps for Lucy
Following the Dinkinesh encounter, Lucy will continue its journey, making a flyby of another main belt asteroid named Donaldjohanson in 2025. The spacecraft will then approach Earth to use its gravity for a trajectory back to the main asteroid belt, ultimately reaching the Trojan asteroids in 2027.
