Lucy Spacecraft Will Slingshot Around Earth

Jupiter Trojans: NASA's Lucy mission is headed to Jupiter's Trojans, a group of primitive asteroids locked in Jupiter's orbit that may contain clues to how the planets formed. Launched on October 16th, 2021, Lucy returns home on its one-year anniversary for its first of three earth gravity assists. On October 16th, 2022, at 7:04 a.m. Eastern Time, the spacecraft makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance of just 219 miles (354 kilometers) above the planet. That’s less than half the size of the International Space station. This exceptionally close shave increases Lucy’s speed by 4.5 miles (8.3 kilometers) per second. It sets Lucy on a trajectory that will increase its speed even further when it returns home for its second Earth gravity assist, in December 2024.