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We are minutes away
from the launch of NASA's Lucy mission

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to the never before explored
Trojan asteroids.

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Lucy's long journey to space begins today,

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but her story actually started years ago.

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It took a team of scientists and engineers
many years to plan

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where Lucy would go
and what she would have to do.

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Then Lucy's engineers had to build her
out of individual parts

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and put her together like a puzzle.

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Lucy had to go through tough physical
tests to prove she was mission ready.

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How are you holding up, Lucy?

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These are the vibration
and acoustic tests to make sure

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that Lucy won't lose any screws
during the shaky launch on a rocket.

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Lucy wasn't quite ready just yet.

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The engineers still had to be sure

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that she was prepared
for the harsh environment of space.

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They chilled Lucy
to freezing temperatures,

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then warmed her up to scalding hot
temperatures in the thermal vacuum test.

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Sure, those tests weren't easy,
but they prepared Lucy for the long

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adventure ahead.

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We're glad you can

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join Lucy on her adventure
to explore the Trojan asteroids.

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Now let's get the journey started.

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You might be wondering,

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where is Lucy off to?

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Ah, yes! The Trojan asteroids.

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These are a population of asteroids
in orbit around the Sun.

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About as far away as Jupiter.

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It may seem far away to you,
but our Lucy spacecraft

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is a capable explorer
and ready to make the trek to her targets.

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Lucy is aiming to visit asteroids
in both of these Trojan swarms

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on her 12 year mission.

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The pull of gravity from the sun balances
the pull from Jupiter

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to keep the Trojan asteroids
in these two groups.

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Due to the gravitational balancing
act these asteroids

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have been in these orbits
for billions of years.

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It's still quite the challenge
to explore these targets.

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However, our intrepid explorer
is ready for her mission.

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Aren't you, Lucy?

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Ah, of course. You'll be the
first spacecraft to visit these asteroids.

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I can't help but wonder, though,
why choose these asteroids in particular?

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I see, the scientific evidence says
the Trojan asteroids

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are leftover material
from the formation of the planets.

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Right, these asteroids hold vital clues

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to understanding the history
of our Solar System.

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It's just like a treasure hunt.

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What you discover could teach us
about the history of the Solar System

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and how the planets, including Earth,
came to be the way they are.

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I won't hold you up any longer.

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Safe travels on your journey.

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Be sure to write home
and tell us all about it.

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So you're finally getting on your way
to your asteroid encounters!

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Say, which Trojan asteroid
are you visiting first, Lucy?

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Eurybates! You still have quite
a long journey before you get there.

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So why don't you tell us what you already
know about this first Trojan target?

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You're right. We don't
know much about these objects just yet.

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Keep in mind, our only observations
of these asteroids

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have been from a great distance
away from telescopes back here on Earth.

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And with the Hubble Space
Telescope, scientists

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have used all kinds of different
telescopes to get basic information

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about Lucy's Trojan asteroid destinations,
where they are, how they're moving,

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how big they are. Their general color.

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And if we're lucky,
a very rough idea of their general shape.

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But nothing compares to actually flying

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right past these asteroids
and getting a close up view.

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And that's where Lucy comes
in. Yeah. Exciting.

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This is the first close
up of these worlds.

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You'll be learning as much as you can
about these Trojan asteroids

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and giving us a new glimpse
into what these distant worlds are.

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Now, get some rest, Lucy.

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It'll be a long journey
before you get to your first destination.

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No, Lucy, still a

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little way to go before
you get to your first Trojan asteroid.

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But it looks like you're coming up
to the main belt asteroid.

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Donald Johanson.

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Right. This will give you a chance
to check in on your instrumentation

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before you get out to the Trojans.

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This first instrument is called L'Ralph.

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It will take color
images of the Trojan asteroids

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using visible and infrared light,
helping scientists

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map craters and mountains and figure out
what the asteroids are made out of.

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Next, this is L'LORRI,
the long range reconnaissance imager.

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This camera will provide
the most detailed images

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of the surfaces of the Trojan asteroids
to help scientists

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figure out what's been happening
since our Solar System formed.

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This is L'TES, the thermal
emission spectrometer.

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Basically a touchless thermometer.

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It will measure the temperatures
on the Trojan asteroids' surfaces

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to tell scientists
whether the surfaces are rocky or dusty.

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Lastly, you couldn't get the job done
without your tracking cameras

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or the T2CAMS to make sure
the asteroids are always in view

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and the high gain antenna
that lets you communicate with Earth.

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The scientists back at home
will use your radio signals

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to measure the mass of each
asteroid as you fly past it.

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Right, Lucy! How could I forget?

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You also have two huge solar panels
to give you electrical power

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as you fly out to the Trojan
asteroids farther

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from the Sun than any previous solar
powered mission.

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Just a bit longer
now before you get to your first target.

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Rest up and get ready to put
all of those instruments to good use.

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I'll check back in with you
once you make it out to your first Trojan

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asteroid. There it is, Lucy,

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your first Trojan asteroids,

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Eurybates with its small moon, Queta.

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Earth to Lucy. Remember,

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you need to take a lot of images
of Eurybates and Queta

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in not a lot of time before you're
zooming off to your next target.

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Make sure you get all those images for us.

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It's beautiful, isn't it?

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And we're past. Phew!

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That was quick, right?

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Get any good data?

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That's great to hear.

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Can't wait to see them.

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Just send them back to us here at Earth.

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We have so much to learn
from what you've already sent back to us

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and you're just getting started out there.

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There are still five more Trojan asteroids
to explore on your 12 year journey.

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Each one has a different story to tell
about the history of our Solar System.

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Next up is Polymele, a mere 21 kilometers
or 13 miles in diameter.

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Afterwards, you'll be zooming by Leucus,
which rotates at an extremely slow rate

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with each day being about eighteen point
five Earth days long.

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Afterwards, you'll be on to Orus, which
might be rich in organics and carbon.

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Lastly, you'll be on your way to a twin
pair of asteroids,

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Patroclus and Menoetius.

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These asteroids, relatively unchanged over
four billion years,

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will give us a glimpse
of our Solar System's distant past.

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With each flyby of a Trojan asteroid
you'll be looking at time capsules

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from the birth of our Solar System
over four billion years ago.

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Lucy, what your observations tell us

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about the composition
and properties of the Trojan asteroids

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could give us clues
about how Earth came to be.

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Absolutely. Carry on your journey, Lucy.

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And don't forget to call
and show us what you find out there.

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We'll be waiting. Good luck.