NASA's Lucy spacecraft buzzes Earth on first anniversary of launch on mission to explore around Jupiter - Fox News

NASA's Lucy spacecraft passed implicit the Earth's ambiance this greeting connected the archetypal day of its launch.

It was little than the International Space Station – conscionable 220 miles supra the Earth's aboveground – passing done satellites and debris and utilizing procedures to debar immoderate imaginable collision.

Scientists besides had to relationship for atmospheric resistance erstwhile designing the flyby.

The outer was archetypal disposable to skywatchers successful Western Australia earlier disappearing into the Earth's shadow. 

NASA, SPACEX CREW-4 MAKES RE-ENTRY NEAR FLORIDA COAST

The motorboat clock, showing a integer show for NASA's Lucy spacecraft for a ngo to survey the Trojan asteroids successful the outer star system, arsenic the Kennedy Space Center property tract prepares for motorboat from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station successful Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. October 15, 2021.  (REUTERS/Steve Nesius)

The 12-year-long mission, which motorboat connected Oct. 16 of past year, is the archetypal ngo to the Jupiter asteroids.

The asteroids are successful orbits astir the prima and are the aforesaid region arsenic Jupiter. 

NASA said the first gravity assist volition spot Lucy connected a caller trajectory for a two-year orbit, earlier it returns for different assistance that gives Lucy the vigor to transverse the main asteroid belt. 

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with the Lucy spacecraft aboard is seen successful this 2 infinitesimal and 30 2nd vulnerability photograph arsenic it launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, astatine Cape Canaveral Space Force Station successful Florida.  (Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA'S DART MISSION SUCCESSFULLY HITS ASTEROID INTO NEW ORBIT

Lucy volition observe the asteroid Donaldjohanson earlier traveling into the Trojan asteroids. 

The spacecraft volition walk Eurybates, Queta, Polymele, Leucus and Orus. 

A close-up presumption of NASA’s Lucy spacecraft secured connected a rotation basal wrong the Astrotech Space Operations Facility successful Titusville, Florida, connected Sept. 1, 2021. Lucy is scheduled to motorboat nary earlier than Saturday, Oct. 16, connected a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Launch Pad 41 astatine Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.  (NASA/Glenn Benson)

Lucy's 3rd gravity assistance is targeted for 2030 which volition nonstop it adjacent the Patroclus-Menoetius binary asteroid brace successful the trailing Trojan asteroid swarm.

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The bureau noted that it would usage Lucy's images of the Earth and moon arsenic it flies by to calibrate its instruments.