Lucy Mission Animations

Lucy approaches the Earth and the Moon prior to its flyby. Lucy fires its thrusters to avoid colliding with an Earth-orbiting satellite. Lucy approaches Western Australia, coming within 220 miles of Earth’s surface. Lucy crosses over Queensland, Australia, and heads toward the Pacific Ocean. After completing its first gravity assist, Lucy bids farewell to the Earth and the Moon. NASA’s Lucy mission is heading to the Jupiter Trojans – two swarms of primitive asteroids trapped in Jupiter’s orbit that may hold clues to the formation of the planets. Lucy launched on October 16, 2021, spent a year in orbit around the Sun, and returned home on its launch anniversary for the first of three Earth gravity assists. The maneuver boosted Lucy’s speed and elongated its orbit around the Sun, setting it track for a second flyby of Earth in December 2024. This page provides artist concept animations depicting Lucy’s first Earth gravity assist.Learn more about Lucy's first Earth gravity assist. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/lucy-ega) Related pages

Quick link to edited B-ROLL for the live shotsQuick link to canned interview with Donya Douglas-Bradshaw Lucy Project ManagerQuick link to canned interview with Cory Prykull, Lockheed Martin Space, Lucy Assembly, Test & Launch Operations Lead Edited b-roll for the Lucy live shots. B-roll is separated by slates for each question:* The Lucy mission is planning to take a trip to the Trojan asteroids. Can you tell us what the Trojan asteroids are?* What’s the difference between an asteroid and a comet?* This isn’t NASA’s first mission to study an asteroid up close. What can these particular asteroids tell us?* What are you most excited about for this mission? Canned interview with Donya Douglas-Bradshaw / Lucy Project Manager. TRT 3:47. Soundbites are separated by a slate. Full transcript can be found under the download button Canned interview with Cory Prykull / Lockheed Martin Space, Lucy Assembly, Test & Launch Operations Lead. Transcript available under the download option. TRT 5:22 12 Years, 8 Asteroids, 1 SpacecraftCountdown Is On For The Launch Of NASA’s Bold Mission To Explore Ancient AsteroidsFossils of the solar system: On October 16, NASA will launch LUCY, the first-ever mission to a mysterious group of asteroids that are pristine “fossils” of our solar system. Trojan asteroids are remnants of the ancient material that formed the outer planets some 4.5 billion years ago! Named after characters in Greek mythology, these asteroids circle the Sun in two swarms, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind it. Lucy will visit an unprecedented eight asteroids during its epic journey.Lucy’s name is a nod to the famous 3.2 million year old “Lucy” skeleton that helped scientists piece together human evolution. Just as the Lucy fossil changed our understanding of human evolution, this Lucy in the sky will revolutionize our understanding of the Solar System’s origins. Lucy is the first spacecraft to visit this group of asteroids, and it’ll also be the first probe to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system when it swings back to adjust course.Fun Fact: Each of the two groups of Trojan asteroid swarms are as far away from Jupiter as Jupiter is from the Sun! Fun Fact: When the Lucy spacecraft flies into the sky on Oct 16, it will be carrying a 3.98 gm, or 19.9 carat, diamond with it. This manufactured diamond (1-mm thick and 38 mm in diameter) serves as the beamsplitter for Lucy's far-infrared spectrometer, L'TES. That instrument will allow scientists to determine the temperature, and thus infer the surface properties, of the Trojan asteroids.Live interviews will be offered on Oct. 15, 2021 from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. EASTERN TIME.Click here to request an interview: https://bit.ly/3A7bu9XFor more information about the Lucy mission and the Trojan asteroids visit: www.nasa.gov/lucyFor additional resources visit: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1895/lucy-mission-resources/ *Please note that we may not be able to accommodate all requests for a specific expert. If we cannot fit your request we will offer alternatives.* Suggested Anchor Intro:Tomorrow NASA will make history by launching the Lucy mission, the first mission to study the Trojan asteroids. This unique group of asteroids circles the Sun in two swarms - with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind it. These ancient asteroids are virtually untouched since the birth of our solar system, and like fossils on Earth, hold important clues to the past. Here to talk to us about this special mission and what it means is Lucy expert XX. Suggested Questions:The Lucy mission is planning to take a trip to the Trojan asteroids. Can you tell us what the Trojan asteroids are?What’s the difference between an asteroid and a comet?This isn’t NASA’s first mission to study an asteroid up close. What can these particular asteroids tell us?What are you most excited about for this mission? What are the ways that the public can become involved in the Lucy mission?Longer Interview Questions:Lucy will be visiting an unprecedented eight asteroids! What are some of the challenges in sending a spacecraft to different locations?How did the Lucy mission get its name? What will scientists be looking for as Lucy observes its targets?How might this mission help us better understand how our solar system formed and maybe even how life got started here on Earth? For More InformationSee [https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/main/index](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/main/index) Related pages

This visualization is a view from the Lucy spacecraft as it travels through the solar system, represented in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. In this reference frame, Jupiter appears fixed in space. This visualization spans from launch through the flyby of the main belt asteroid DonaldJohanson. (Part 1 of 3) This visualization is a view from the Lucy spacecraft as it travels through the solar system, represented in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. This visualization depicts the next portion of the mission, which includes flybys of Eurybates, Orus, Leucus, and Polymele. (Part 2 of 3) This visualization is a view from the Lucy spacecraft as it travels through the solar system, represented in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. This visualization depicts the final portion of the mission, which includes a flyby of the binary asteroid Patroclus/Menoetius. (Part 3 of 3) This visualization is a view from the Lucy spacecraft as it travels through the solar system, represented in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. This is a complete view of the entire mission, combining all three sections (parts 1-3) listed above into one visualization, including all asteroid flybys. A closer view of the Lucy flyby of the binary asteroid Patroclus/Menoetius, represented in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojans asteroids - two loose groups of asteroids that orbit the Sun, with one group always ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other always behind. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system, and perhaps even the origins of life and organic material on Earth.Lucy will launch in October 2021 and, with boosts from Earth's gravity, will complete a twelve-year journey to eight different asteroids — a Main Belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojans, the last two members of a “two-for-the-price-of-one” binary system. Lucy’s complex path will take it to both clusters of Trojans and give us our first close-up view of all three major types of bodies in the swarms (so-called C-, P- and D-types).These visualizations give an 'over-the-shoulder' view of Lucy as the spacecraft travels through the solar system. Related pages

This top-down, solar system view shows the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. In this reference frame, Jupiter appears fixed in space. Two large regions of asteroids are depicted along Jupiter’s orbit (know as the Jupiter Trojan Asteroids). Green - EarthBlue - LucyOrange - JupiterWhite - Target, ‘fly-by’ asteroids This top-down, solar system view shows the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. In this reference frame, Jupiter appears fixed in space. Two large regions of asteroids are depicted along Jupiter’s orbit (know as the Jupiter Trojan Asteroids). Labels appear as each fly-by occurs. Green - EarthBlue - LucyOrange - JupiterWhite - Target, ‘fly-by’ asteroidsThis video is also available on our YouTube channel. This is a view of the inner solar system in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. The camera begins at viewpoint oblique to the ecliptic plane, then moves up to a top-down view. This top-down, solar system view shows the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. In this version, the camera pushes into the final asteroid fly-by, 617 Patroclus. This top-down, solar system view shows the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. In this version, the camera pushes into the final asteroid fly-by, 617 Patroclus (labeled). This visualization includes multiple views of the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. The visualization includes top-down, side, and oblique views of the solar system. This video is also available on our YouTube channel. Oblique view of the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. Side view of the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. Top view of the entire Lucy mission in a Jupiter-rotating reference frame. Jupiter's swarms of Trojan asteroids may be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets, and serve as time capsules from the birth of our Solar System more than 4 billion years ago. The Trojans orbit in two loose groups that orbit the Sun, with one group always ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other always behind. At these two Lagrange points the bodies are stabilized by the Sun and Jupiter in a gravitational balancing act. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system, and perhaps even the origins of life and organic material on Earth.Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojans. The mission takes its name from the fossilized human ancestor (called “Lucy” by her discoverers) whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity's evolution. Likewise, the Lucy mission will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system.Lucy will launch in October 2021 and, with boosts from Earth's gravity, will complete a twelve-year journey to eight different asteroids — a Main Belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojans, the last two members of a “two-for-the-price-of-one” binary system. Lucy’s complex path will take it to both clusters of Trojans and give us our first close-up view of all three major types of bodies in the swarms (so-called C-, P- and D-types). Related pages