NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Successfully Completes 1st Flyby of Asteroid 'Dinky'.
On November 1, 2023, NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully completed its first flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh, also known as "Dinky." This is a major milestone in Lucy's mission to study 10 asteroids in the Trojan asteroids swarm, located between Mars and Jupiter.
Dinkinesh is a relatively small asteroid, measuring just 5 kilometers (3 miles) in diameter. Lucy flew past the asteroid at a distance of about 620 kilometers (385 miles), taking images and collecting data with its scientific instruments.
"The Lucy team is thrilled with the success of our first flyby," said Hal Levison, Lucy's principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "This is a major milestone in our mission to explore the Trojan asteroids and learn more about the formation and evolution of our solar system."
Lucy's flyby of Dinkinesh was a test run for its future encounters with other asteroids. The spacecraft's instruments performed well, and the team is now eagerly awaiting the data that Lucy collected.
"We're looking forward to seeing what the data from our first flyby reveals about Dinkinesh," said Levison. "We hope to learn more about its composition, surface features, and history."
Lucy's mission is expected to last for 12 years, and it will visit a total of 10 asteroids, including six Trojans and two main belt asteroids. The spacecraft is scheduled to make its closest approach to Jupiter in 2025 and 2030.
The Lucy mission is a collaboration between NASA, the Southwest Research Institute, Lockheed Martin Space, and several other universities and institutions.
Significance of the flyby
The Lucy spacecraft's first flyby of asteroid Dinkinesh is a significant event for several reasons. First, it is the first time that a spacecraft has ever visited a Trojan asteroid. Second, it is the first flyby of any asteroid by Lucy, and it marks the beginning of a 12-year mission to explore 10 asteroids in total.
The data that Lucy collects from its flyby of Dinkinesh will help scientists to learn more about the composition, surface features, and history of this Trojan asteroid. This information will be used to better understand the formation and evolution of the Trojan asteroids and the solar system as a whole.
The Lucy mission is a bold and ambitious undertaking, and its success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the many scientists and engineers who have worked on it. The flyby of Dinkinesh is a major milestone in the mission, and it is a sign of good things to come.