NASA Asteroid Probe “Lucy” Conducts 1st Earth Swing-by | sorae Space Portal Site

[▲ Artist’s impression of the asteroid explorer “Lucy,” which will flyby explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids (Credit: Southwest Research Institute)]

On October 16, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)First Earth swing-by of the asteroid explorer “Lucy”was carried out. A total of three Earth swing-bys to change Lucy’s orbit are planned during the 12-year mission, with the next planned in December 2024, two years later.

The next Earth swing-by will be in December 2024

Lucy, launched on October 16, 2021 Japan time,8 Jupiter Trojan asteroids(including two satellites) and1 asteroid in the asteroid belt, intended to explore a total of nine asteroids. From visiting multiple asteroids,The mission period is 12 years from 2021 to 2033is scheduled.

[▲ Atlas V rocket launched with Lucy (Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)]

Jupiter Trojansis one of a group of asteroids orbiting the Sun, where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Jupiter and the centrifugal forces on celestial bodies are balanced.Lagrangian pointof which are on Jupiter’s orbit“L4 point”Near (in front of orbiting Jupiter) and“L5 point”Asteroids are distributed in the vicinity of (same, back).

Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids are regarded as ‘fossil’ objects that hold information about the formation and evolution of planets in the early solar system.The name of the mission and probe derives from the close-up exploration of these celestial bodies, after the famous fossilized human skeleton.“Lucy”(a member of Australopithecus afarensis that lived about 3.2 million years ago)

connection:NASA probe “Lucy” scheduled to launch on October 16, first approach to Jupiter Trojan asteroids

[▲ A video showing Lucy’s flight path (light blue) during the first Earth swing-by. White is an artificial satellite orbiting the earth]
（Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio）

Lucy’s mission is to put the spacecraft in orbit toward Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, which are divided into two groups.Change the orbit by performing a total of 3 swing-byes using the gravity of the earth revolving around the sunTo do.This time, it was the first time, and at 20:04 on October 16, 2022 Japan time, exactly one year after the launch, LucyAltitude 350kmI passed through.

This is not only a geostationary orbit at an altitude of about 36,000 km,Lower than the International Space Station (ISS) orbiting at an altitude of about 400kmAltitude. Lucy’s closest approach was still before dawn in the western United States, so the mission’s leading team members from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) photographed Lucy’s light trails in Scottsbluff, western Nebraska, USA. have succeeded in

#SpotTheSpacecraft update: The Lucy Team in Boulder and Littleton, Colorado were stuck with overcast skies, but two intrepid team members made a roadtrip to Scottsbluff, Nebraska and spotted Lucy with a telescope and shared what they saw. Whoot! #LucyMission#EarthGravityAssist pic.twitter.com/8LYhFBNdqp

— Lucy Mission (@LucyMission) October 16, 2022

[▲ Light trail of Lucy taken in Nebraska. From Lucy Mission’s official Twitter account]

of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, who serves as Lucy’s project manager.Rich BurnsOriginally in Lucy’s 1st Earth Swingby, according toIn addition, it is scheduled to pass at a lower altitude of nearly 20 km.However, considering the troubled solar array,It was decided to pass through a slightly higher altitudeIt seems that.

Because it flies near the orbit of Jupiter, which is farther from the sun than the earth,Lucy is equipped with two huge circular (decagonal to be exact) solar arrays with a diameter of 7.3mIt has been. This solar array uses a retractable strap to spread out like a fan.One solar array was not fully deployed and only opened to about 345 degrees out of 360 degreesIt became clear immediately after the launch.

connection:Attempts to fully deploy one solar array of NASA asteroid explorer “Lucy” continue

Through the efforts of the operations team over the next few months, the solar array in question was353 to 357 degrees, just a little bit more until full deploymentAlthough it is open to and cannot be locked with a fixing mechanism,Stabilized by tension on the strapis estimated to be in

However, there is a thin atmosphere in the low-Earth orbit that passes during the swing-by.Minimize the resistance of large solar cell arrays from the atmosphereIn order to correct the trajectory in advance using Lucy’s engine,Adjusted so that the altitude at the time of closest approach is slightly higherIt is said that it was done.

【▲ A simulation video showing Lucy’s trajectory during the mission. Light blue represents the spacecraft, white represents the asteroid to be explored, green represents the Earth, and orange represents Jupiter]
（Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio）

Lucy, who got on an elliptical orbit in the first Earth swing-by this time,About two years later, on December 12, 2024, it will approach the Earth again and perform the second Earth swing-by.intend to do something.In this swing-by LucyTrajectory across the asteroid belt towards Jupiter’s forward trojansand in April 2025, the asteroid in the asteroid belt, the first target for exploration,“Donald Johansson”approach the

After that, Lucy will head for the L4 point Trojan preceding Jupiter, and in August 2027Eurybates and its satellite Ketain September“Polymere” and its satellitein April 2028“Leucos”in November“Olas”of fly-by exploration. Lucy who finished the exploration at the L4 point Jupiter TrojanReturning to Earth, the 3rd Earth Swing-by will be held in December 2030to change the trajectory.Double asteroid in March 2033 towards the L5 point Trojan, this time following Jupiter“Patroclus” “Menoetius”We plan to complete the mission by conducting a flyby exploration of

【▲ A list of asteroids that Lucy will flyby explore (imaginary image). Upper row from left: Double asteroids Patroclus, Menoetius, and Eurybates. Bottom row from left: Oras, Leucos, Polimere, and Donald Johansson. Of these, Eurybates has satellite Kate, and Polimere has one (Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab)]

connection:A moon is discovered on the asteroid Polimere.As a new exploration target for spacecraft Lucy

Source

• Image Credit: Southwest Research Institute, NASA/Bill Ingalls, NASA’s Scientific Visualization StudioNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
• NASA – NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Prepares to Swing by Earth
• NASA – Lucy Mission (NASA Blogs)
• Lucy Mission (Twitter)
• NASA Solar System (Twitter)

Text/Matsumura Takehiro