NASA’s Lucy mission launched last year on its journey to the Trojan asteroids orbiting Jupiter. Despite a problem with one of the solar panels, the spacecraft continues its journey as planned.
Lucy will study ancient asteroids to learn more about how the solar system was formed. NASA has shared some of the first images taken as part of the calibration process of Lucy heading towards the asteroids.
Lucy is heading towards the Trojan asteroids!
Lucy hosts a total of four cameras. Two of these cameras are Terminal Monitoring Cameras. These wide-angle cameras will be used to lock onto asteroids and accurately guide other devices as they pass by.
Multicolor Visible Imaging Camera from my other cameras will take panorama images. The Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager will take high-resolution, close-up images of the asteroids. In addition to the cameras, Lucy has a spectrometer and a device for mapping the temperature.
These calibration images were taken in February this year as part of the procedure to check that the instruments are sufficiently sensitive and accurate. Some images were also shared right after Lucy’s launch in November 2021.
With the shared images, it was announced that the devices are working well and that Lucy is ready to encounter the Trojan asteroids that are scheduled to arrive in 2027.
So what do you think about Trojan asteroids? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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