1
00:00:01,583 --> 00:00:05,166
We are minutes away
 from the launch of NASA's Lucy mission

2
00:00:05,333 --> 00:00:08,250
to the never before explored
 Trojan asteroids.

3
00:00:09,666 --> 00:00:12,666
Lucy's long journey to space begins today,

4
00:00:12,750 --> 00:00:15,333
but her story actually started years ago.

5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,250
It took a team of scientists and engineers
 many years to plan

6
00:00:19,250 --> 00:00:21,583
where Lucy would go
 and what she would have to do.

7
00:00:22,416 --> 00:00:26,000
Then Lucy's engineers had to build her
 out of individual parts

8
00:00:26,333 --> 00:00:29,166
and put her together like a puzzle. 

9
00:00:29,166 --> 00:00:33,666
Lucy had to go through tough physical
 tests to prove she was mission ready.

10
00:00:34,583 --> 00:00:36,833
How are you holding up, Lucy? 

11
00:00:37,916 --> 00:00:40,666
These are the vibration
 and acoustic tests to make sure

12
00:00:40,666 --> 00:00:44,500
that Lucy won't lose any screws
 during the shaky launch on a rocket.

13
00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,083
Lucy wasn't quite ready just yet.

14
00:00:47,750 --> 00:00:49,166
The engineers still had to be sure 

15
00:00:49,166 --> 00:00:51,833
that she was prepared
 for the harsh environment of space.

16
00:00:52,583 --> 00:00:55,000
They chilled Lucy
 to freezing temperatures,

17
00:00:55,333 --> 00:00:59,666
then warmed her up to scalding hot
 temperatures in the thermal vacuum test.

18
00:00:59,916 --> 00:01:03,750
Sure, those tests weren't easy,
 but they prepared Lucy for the long

19
00:01:03,750 --> 00:01:09,166
adventure ahead.

20
00:01:28,833 --> 00:01:34,416
We're glad you can

21
00:01:34,416 --> 00:01:38,083
join Lucy on her adventure
 to explore the Trojan asteroids.

22
00:01:38,583 --> 00:01:42,333
Now let's get the journey started. 

23
00:01:44,666 --> 00:01:46,000
You might be wondering, 

24
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,833
where is Lucy off to? 

25
00:01:50,583 --> 00:01:52,666
Ah, yes! The Trojan asteroids.

26
00:01:52,833 --> 00:01:56,250
These are a population of asteroids
 in orbit around the Sun.

27
00:01:56,583 --> 00:01:59,750
About as far away as Jupiter. 

28
00:01:59,750 --> 00:02:03,500
It may seem far away to you,
 but our Lucy spacecraft

29
00:02:03,666 --> 00:02:07,750
is a capable explorer
 and ready to make the trek to her targets.

30
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,833
Lucy is aiming to visit asteroids
 in both of these Trojan swarms

31
00:02:11,833 --> 00:02:13,500
on her 12 year mission. 

32
00:02:13,500 --> 00:02:17,166
The pull of gravity from the sun balances
 the pull from Jupiter

33
00:02:17,416 --> 00:02:20,250
to keep the Trojan asteroids
 in these two groups.

34
00:02:20,750 --> 00:02:23,750
Due to the gravitational balancing
 act these asteroids

35
00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:26,583
have been in these orbits
 for billions of years.

36
00:02:26,833 --> 00:02:29,750
It's still quite the challenge
 to explore these targets.

37
00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:33,583
However, our intrepid explorer
 is ready for her mission.

38
00:02:33,916 --> 00:02:35,666
Aren't you, Lucy? 

39
00:02:35,666 --> 00:02:39,666
Ah, of course. You'll be the
 first spacecraft to visit these asteroids.

40
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,250
I can't help but wonder, though,
 why choose these asteroids in particular?

41
00:02:45,666 --> 00:02:49,666
I see, the scientific evidence says
 the Trojan asteroids

42
00:02:49,833 --> 00:02:54,333
are leftover material
 from the formation of the planets.

43
00:02:54,333 --> 00:02:59,666
Right, these asteroids hold vital clues

44
00:02:59,833 --> 00:03:02,750
to understanding the history
 of our Solar System.

45
00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:06,083
It's just like a treasure hunt. 

46
00:03:06,083 --> 00:03:09,916
What you discover could teach us
 about the history of the Solar System

47
00:03:10,416 --> 00:03:14,083
and how the planets, including Earth,
 came to be the way they are.

48
00:03:16,333 --> 00:03:19,416
I won't hold you up any longer. 

49
00:03:19,416 --> 00:03:22,333
Safe travels on your journey. 

50
00:03:22,333 --> 00:03:24,500
Be sure to write home
 and tell us all about it.

51
00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,916
So you're finally getting on your way
 to your asteroid encounters!

52
00:03:36,916 --> 00:03:40,583
Say, which Trojan asteroid
 are you visiting first, Lucy?

53
00:03:44,083 --> 00:03:47,666
Eurybates! You still have quite
 a long journey before you get there.

54
00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:52,750
So why don't you tell us what you already
 know about this first Trojan target?

55
00:03:57,833 --> 00:04:01,750
You're right. We don't
 know much about these objects just yet.

56
00:04:02,250 --> 00:04:05,250
Keep in mind, our only observations
 of these asteroids

57
00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:09,416
have been from a great distance
 away from telescopes back here on Earth.

58
00:04:10,166 --> 00:04:13,166
And with the Hubble Space
 Telescope, scientists

59
00:04:13,333 --> 00:04:16,500
have used all kinds of different
 telescopes to get basic information

60
00:04:16,666 --> 00:04:20,750
about Lucy's Trojan asteroid destinations,
 where they are, how they're moving,

61
00:04:21,250 --> 00:04:23,416
how big they are. Their general color.

62
00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,250
And if we're lucky,
 a very rough idea of their general shape.

63
00:04:29,416 --> 00:04:31,416
But nothing compares to actually flying 

64
00:04:31,416 --> 00:04:34,666
right past these asteroids
 and getting a close up view.

65
00:04:35,250 --> 00:04:39,666
And that's where Lucy comes
 in. Yeah. Exciting.

66
00:04:40,750 --> 00:04:42,750
This is the first close
 up of these worlds.

67
00:04:43,416 --> 00:04:46,583
You'll be learning as much as you can
 about these Trojan asteroids

68
00:04:46,916 --> 00:04:50,666
and giving us a new glimpse
 into what these distant worlds are.

69
00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:53,083
Now, get some rest, Lucy. 

70
00:04:53,083 --> 00:04:56,000
It'll be a long journey
 before you get to your first destination.

71
00:05:02,916 --> 00:05:04,750
No, Lucy, still a 

72
00:05:04,750 --> 00:05:08,833
little way to go before
 you get to your first Trojan asteroid.

73
00:05:09,250 --> 00:05:12,166
But it looks like you're coming up
 to the main belt asteroid.

74
00:05:12,416 --> 00:05:14,583
Donald Johanson. 

75
00:05:14,666 --> 00:05:18,000
Right. This will give you a chance
 to check in on your instrumentation

76
00:05:18,250 --> 00:05:20,333
before you get out to the Trojans. 

77
00:05:20,333 --> 00:05:22,416
This first instrument is called L'Ralph.

78
00:05:22,750 --> 00:05:25,333
It will take color
 images of the Trojan asteroids

79
00:05:25,583 --> 00:05:28,750
using visible and infrared light,
 helping scientists

80
00:05:28,750 --> 00:05:33,416
map craters and mountains and figure out
 what the asteroids are made out of.

81
00:05:33,416 --> 00:05:37,583
Next, this is L'LORRI,
 the long range reconnaissance imager.

82
00:05:38,083 --> 00:05:41,083
This camera will provide
 the most detailed images

83
00:05:41,333 --> 00:05:44,250
of the surfaces of the Trojan asteroids
 to help scientists

84
00:05:44,250 --> 00:05:47,916
figure out what's been happening
 since our Solar System formed.

85
00:05:48,083 --> 00:05:51,416
This is L'TES, the thermal
 emission spectrometer.

86
00:05:51,833 --> 00:05:53,833
Basically a touchless thermometer. 

87
00:05:53,833 --> 00:05:57,083
It will measure the temperatures
 on the Trojan asteroids' surfaces

88
00:05:57,166 --> 00:06:00,583
to tell scientists
 whether the surfaces are rocky or dusty.

89
00:06:01,166 --> 00:06:04,583
Lastly, you couldn't get the job done
 without your tracking cameras

90
00:06:04,583 --> 00:06:09,000
or the T2CAMS to make sure
 the asteroids are always in view

91
00:06:09,583 --> 00:06:12,750
and the high gain antenna
 that lets you communicate with Earth.

92
00:06:12,916 --> 00:06:16,166
The scientists back at home
 will use your radio signals

93
00:06:16,250 --> 00:06:19,416
to measure the mass of each
 asteroid as you fly past it.

94
00:06:22,250 --> 00:06:24,333
Right, Lucy! How could I forget? 

95
00:06:24,333 --> 00:06:28,666
You also have two huge solar panels
 to give you electrical power

96
00:06:28,666 --> 00:06:31,833
as you fly out to the Trojan
 asteroids farther

97
00:06:31,833 --> 00:06:34,750
from the Sun than any previous solar
 powered mission.

98
00:06:35,416 --> 00:06:38,500
Just a bit longer
 now before you get to your first target.

99
00:06:39,333 --> 00:06:43,000
Rest up and get ready to put
 all of those instruments to good use.

100
00:06:43,750 --> 00:06:46,916
I'll check back in with you
 once you make it out to your first Trojan

101
00:06:46,916 --> 00:06:54,166
asteroid. There it is, Lucy,

102
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,500
your first Trojan asteroids, 

103
00:07:00,083 --> 00:07:02,583
Eurybates with its small moon, Queta.

104
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,166
Earth to Lucy. Remember,

105
00:07:07,333 --> 00:07:10,500
you need to take a lot of images
 of Eurybates and Queta

106
00:07:10,666 --> 00:07:14,500
in not a lot of time before you're
 zooming off to your next target.

107
00:07:14,916 --> 00:07:17,166
Make sure you get all those images for us.

108
00:07:32,750 --> 00:07:36,583
It's beautiful, isn't it? 

109
00:07:44,666 --> 00:07:47,083
And we're past. Phew!

110
00:07:47,083 --> 00:07:49,583
That was quick, right?

111
00:07:50,166 --> 00:07:52,250
Get any good data? 

112
00:07:53,666 --> 00:07:55,083
That's great to hear. 

113
00:07:55,083 --> 00:07:56,500
Can't wait to see them. 

114
00:07:56,500 --> 00:08:00,000
Just send them back to us here at Earth. 

115
00:08:08,250 --> 00:08:12,500
We have so much to learn
 from what you've already sent back to us

116
00:08:12,833 --> 00:08:14,916
and you're just getting started out there.

117
00:08:16,416 --> 00:08:20,583
There are still five more Trojan asteroids
 to explore on your 12 year journey.

118
00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,250
Each one has a different story to tell
 about the history of our Solar System.

119
00:08:25,916 --> 00:08:31,083
Next up is Polymele, a mere 21 kilometers
 or 13 miles in diameter.

120
00:08:31,833 --> 00:08:36,666
Afterwards, you'll be zooming by Leucus,
 which rotates at an extremely slow rate

121
00:08:36,833 --> 00:08:40,833
with each day being about eighteen point
 five Earth days long.

122
00:08:41,416 --> 00:08:46,166
Afterwards, you'll be on to Orus, which
 might be rich in organics and carbon.

123
00:08:48,416 --> 00:08:51,333
Lastly, you'll be on your way to a twin
 pair of asteroids,

124
00:08:51,583 --> 00:08:53,583
Patroclus and Menoetius. 

125
00:08:53,583 --> 00:08:57,750
These asteroids, relatively unchanged over
 four billion years,

126
00:08:57,750 --> 00:09:01,500
will give us a glimpse
 of our Solar System's distant past.

127
00:09:02,250 --> 00:09:06,416
With each flyby of a Trojan asteroid
 you'll be looking at time capsules

128
00:09:06,583 --> 00:09:10,583
from the birth of our Solar System
 over four billion years ago.

129
00:09:11,166 --> 00:09:13,583
Lucy, what your observations tell us

130
00:09:13,583 --> 00:09:16,666
about the composition
 and properties of the Trojan asteroids

131
00:09:16,833 --> 00:09:19,750
could give us clues
 about how Earth came to be.

132
00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:25,833
Absolutely. Carry on your journey, Lucy.

133
00:09:26,166 --> 00:09:29,166
And don't forget to call
 and show us what you find out there.

134
00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:31,166
We'll be waiting. Good luck.