NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has successfully captured high-resolution images of main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, providing scientists with invaluable data ahead of its primary mission. The encounter served as a critical “dress rehearsal” for the upcoming encounters with Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
Lucy is now on a journey through the asteroid belt at speeds exceeding 30,000 mph (50,000 km per hour), heading toward the outer solar system’s cooler regions. Its mission aims to explore the remnants of the early solar system and has significant implications for understanding the formation of planets and moons.
The Donaldjohanson encounter allowed NASA scientists to test the spacecraft’s instruments and assess their performance in deep space. The high-resolution images captured during the flyby will refine procedures for future operations near the Trojan asteroids.
Upcoming encounters with Jupiter Trojan asteroids, including Eurybates, will provide unprecedented insights into the conditions that existed in the solar system billions of years ago. Over the next 15 months, Lucy will visit at least six asteroids, collecting data that could revolutionize our understanding of the solar system’s history.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/07/nasas-lucy-asteroid-donaldjohanson