NASA’s Lucy spacecraft It passed through Earth’s atmosphere this morning on the first anniversary of its launch.
Below the International Space Station, just 220 miles above the Earth’s surface, it was flying over satellites and debris and using procedures to avoid a potential collision.
Scientists also had to take atmospheric resistance into account when designing the flight.
The satellite was first visible to sky observers in Western Australia before disappearing into the shadow of the Earth.
NASA, SPACEX CREW-4 return off the coast of Florida
Launch Clock, showing a digital screen of NASA’s Lucy spacecraft on a mission to study Trojan asteroids in the outer solar system, as the Kennedy Space Center press site prepares for launch from the Cape Canaveral space station to Cape Canaveral , Florida, United States. October 15, 2021.
(Reuters / Steve Nesios)
The 12-year mission, which began on October 16 last year, is the first mission to Jupiter’s asteroids.
Asteroids orbit the Sun and are at the same distance as Jupiter.
NASA said the gravitational first aid This will put Lucy on a new path for two years, before returning for another help which will give Lucy the energy to traverse the main asteroid belt.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying the Lucy spacecraft is shown in this 2-minute 30-second exposure image as it takes off from Space Launch Complex 41 on Saturday, October 16, 2021, at Cape Space Force Station. , Florida.
(Credits: NASA / Bill Ingalls)
NASA’s DART mission successfully reached the interstellar star in a new orbit
Lucy will observe the asteroid Donald Johansson before reaching the Trojan asteroids.
The spacecraft will overtake Euribate, Queta, Polimele, Leuco and Orus.
A close-up of NASA’s Lucy spacecraft attached to a turntable inside Astrotech’s space operations facility in Titusville, Florida on September 1, 2021. The launch of Lucy is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, in the combined launch of the ‘Atlas Rocket Alliance in 401 from Launch Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
(NASA / Glenn Benson)
Lucy’s third gravitational aid is directed in 2030, which will send her close to the Patroclus-Minuitius binary asteroid pair in the Trojan asteroid cluster.
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The agency has indicated that it will use Lucy’s pictures of the Earth and the Moon As they fly to calibrate their devices.
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