[아이뉴스24 정종오 기자] The Lucy probe, launched in October last year, passes close to the Earth. Approaching Earth up to approximately 350 km, it uses Earth’s gravity to move towards Jupiter’s Trojan asteroid belt. There are two groups of asteroid belts 60 degrees back and forth from Jupiter, the largest planet on Earth. Trojan asteroid.
Trojan asteroids are in very stable orbits due to the gravitational force formed by the interaction of Jupiter and the sun. Lucy is in her first year of flying for a total of 12 years. This is her second approach to Earth and, using Earth’s gravity, Lucy is expected to have enough energy to cross the Trojan asteroid.
Lucy plans to study asteroids in the Trojan asteroid. Lucy will then return to Earth in 2030. Subsequently, she returns to the asteroid belt.
Lucy’s orbit, approaching Earth up to 350 km this time, is much lower than the International Space Station (about 410 km altitude). At this altitude there are many areas full of debris as well as several satellites. For this reason, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in a state of extreme tension.
“For the safety of the Lucy rover, we are preparing procedures to anticipate potential hazards and, if necessary, implement small maneuvers to avoid collisions,” said a NASA spokesperson. When Lucy senses the risk of collision with a satellite or debris, it is said that a system has been prepared that can dodge maneuvers 12 hours early and instantly dodge 4 seconds early to avoid a fatal collision.
Lucy was first observed from the ground in Western Australia at around 6:55 am local time on the 16th in the United States. Lucy should be visible for a few minutes before disappearing at 7:02 am on the 16th as she traverses the shadow of the Earth. After escaping from Earth’s gravity, Lucy flies past the moon at high speed to the target point.
“Measuring the crater to understand the history of the Trojan asteroid impact is one of Lucy’s key research tasks,” said NASA.
/ Reporter Jeong Jong-oh([email protected])<!–
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