On October 15, 2022, at a distance of 380,000 miles (620,000 km), NASAs Lucy spacecraft caught this image (which has actually been cropped) of the Earth as a part of an instrument calibration series. To reach these distant asteroids, the Lucy spacecrafts trajectory consists of three Earth gravity helps to enhance it on its long journey to these strange asteroids.
NASAs Lucy spacecraft recorded this image (which has actually been cropped) of the Earth on October 15, 2022, as a part of an instrument calibration sequence at a range of 380,000 miles (620,000 km). Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI
NASAs Lucy made a close fly-by of world Earth on October 16, as part of a gravity help maneuver. Soon prior to its closest technique, the spacecraft recorded pictures of the Earth and Moon.
On October 15, 2022, at a distance of 380,000 miles (620,000 km), NASAs Lucy spacecraft caught this image (which has been cropped) of the Earth as a part of an instrument calibration sequence. The upper left of the image includes a view of Hadar, Ethiopia. This is house to the 3.2 million-year-old human forefather fossil for which the spacecraft was called.
Lucy is the first objective to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. This ancient population of asteroid “fossils” orbit around the Sun at the exact same range as Jupiter. To reach these far-off asteroids, the Lucy spacecrafts trajectory includes three Earth gravity assists to increase it on its long journey to these mystical asteroids.
On October 13, 2022, NASAs Lucy spacecraft caught this image of the Earth and the Moon from a distance of 890,000 miles (1.4 million km). These Earth flybys supply Lucy with the speed needed to reach the Trojan asteroids– small bodies that orbit the Sun at the very same distance as Jupiter.
On October 13, 2022, NASAs Lucy spacecraft recorded this image of the Earth and the Moon from a range of 890,000 miles (1.4 million km). The image was taken as part of an instrument calibration series as the spacecraft approached Earth for its first of 3 Earth gravity assists. Credit: NASA/Goddard/SwRI
The image was taken as part of an instrument calibration series as the spacecraft approached Earth for its very first of 3 Earth gravity helps. These Earth flybys offer Lucy with the speed needed to reach the Trojan asteroids– little bodies that orbit the Sun at the very same distance as Jupiter.
Both images in this post were taken with Lucys Terminal Tracking Camera (T2CAM) system, a set of identical cameras that are accountable for tracking the asteroids throughout Lucys high-speed encounters. The T2CAM system was developed, constructed, and tested by Malin Space Science Systems; Lockheed Martin Integrated the T2CAMs onto the Lucy spacecraft and runs them.
Lucy introduced on October 16, 2021, to begin its 12-year, 4-billion-mile mission to study ancient Trojan asteroids, “fossils” of world development.