NASA’s Lucy spacecraft, part of an ambitious mission to explore the outer solar system, has successfully captured its first images of the asteroid Donaldjohanson. This marks an important step in the spacecraft’s journey, as it prepares for a flyby of the small main belt asteroid on April 20, 2025.

The images were taken on February 20 and 22, showing the asteroid’s apparent motion against the backdrop of distant stars. This marks a significant milestone for the spacecraft as it nears one of its key targets.

What Is The Significance Of The Donaldjohanson Flyby?

The flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson is a crucial moment for NASA’s Lucy mission. This encounter serves as a rehearsal for the spacecraft’s future encounters with the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, which have never been explored before.

Positioned 596 miles (960 km) from the asteroid on April 20, Lucy will be able to gather important data to aid its navigation and ensure the success of future missions. The mission aims to study these ancient remnants of the outer solar system, which have been trapped in the orbit of Jupiter for billions of years.

The Images And The Journey Ahead

Captured using the high-resolution L’LORRI camera, these images of Donaldjohanson provide a glimpse of the asteroid against a star-filled backdrop. The images were taken from a distance of 45 million miles (70 million kilometers) from the asteroid, showing the relatively dim object clearly within the constellation Sextans.

The apparent motion of the asteroid between the two images highlights the spacecraft’s approach, even as another small asteroid momentarily photobombs the shots. Despite being a faint speck of light at this distance, Donaldjohanson will begin to reveal more details as Lucy closes in.

The Mission And Its Origins

Named after the famous fossilized human ancestor, Lucy, discovered by anthropologist Donald Johanson, the mission carries both a symbolic and scientific legacy. The spacecraft’s high-resolution imaging capabilities are designed to capture detailed data that will inform our understanding of asteroids and the early solar system.

Lucy’s principal investigator, Hal Levison, based at the Southwest Research Institute, has overseen the development of the mission, which is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Why Study Asteroids Like Donaldjohanson?

Asteroids like Donaldjohanson are considered time capsules that hold clues to the conditions of the early solar system. By studying these celestial objects, scientists hope to understand more about the formation of planets and the role that these ancient remnants played in shaping our current solar system.

The mission’s focus on the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, in particular, will shed light on the region of the solar system that remains largely unexplored. The Lucy mission, which is the 13th mission in NASA’s Discovery Program, continues to make strides toward unraveling the mysteries of the solar system.

Through its innovative imaging tools and carefully planned flybys, the spacecraft is paving the way for future missions that will explore some of the most remote and ancient objects in space.