NASA’s Lucy Mission launched in October of 2021 and will be the first to Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.

The spacecraft will fly by a record-breaking number of asteroids (ten!) for a single mission throughout its twelve-year journey. Before reaching the Trojans, the spacecraft will pass two main belt asteroids. The first of these encounters will occur November 1, 2023 when Lucy passes main belt asteroid Dinkinesh. The flyby offers the opportunity for a “dress rehearsal” of the spacecraft’s systems in preparation for the science yet to come when similar encounters with the Trojan asteroids reveal never-before-seen clues to the history and formation of our Solar System. 

Join Lucy Mission scientists, for a mission update as they look forward to up-close views of asteroid Dinkinesh and exploring the Trojan asteroids beyond.