NASA is preparing for the launch of its Lucy mission — the first to explore distant asteroids and origins of the solar system on Saturday.
Topics
NASA | asteroids | space
IANS |
Last Updated at October 15, 2021 15:00 IST
NASA is preparing for the launch of its Lucy mission — the first to explore distant asteroids and oigins of the solar system on Saturday.
The Lucy mission will complete a 12-year journey to eight different asteroids: exploring one asteroid in the solar system’s Main Belt asteroid and seven Trojans, the remnants of our early solar system trapped in stable orbits, and following Jupiter in its path around the Sun.
Lucy is scheduled to launch atop the ULA Atlas V 401 rocket at 5.34 a.m. on Saturday, (3.04 p.m. Indian time), from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“It’s #CountdownToLaunch for our #LucyMission, set to launch October 16 and begin its voyage to the Trojan asteroids — leftovers of planet formation that share an orbit with Jupiter. We’ll discover secrets of the early solar system from these planetary fossils,” NASA wrote on Twitter.
Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojans. The mission takes its name from the fossilised human ancestor (called “Lucy” by her discoverers) whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity’s evolution.
Likewise, the Lucy mission will revolutionise our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system, NASA said.
Time capsules from the birth of our Solar System more than 4 billion years ago, the swarms of Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets.
The Trojans orbit the Sun in two loose groups, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind. Clustered around the two Lagrange points equidistant from the Sun and Jupiter, the Trojans are stabilised by the Sun and its largest planet in a gravitational balancing act. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system.
All of the Trojans are thought to be abundant in dark carbon compounds. Below an insulating blanket of dust, they are probably rich in water and other volatile substances.
No other space mission in history has been launched to as many different destinations in independent orbits around our sun. Lucy will show us, for the first time, the diversity of the primordial bodies that built the planets.
–IANS
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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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NASA is preparing for the launch of its Lucy mission — the first to explore distant asteroids and origins of the solar system on Saturday. Topics NASA | asteroids | space IANS | Washington Last Updated at October 15, 2021 15:00 IST NASA is preparing for the launch of its Lucy mission — the first to explore distant asteroids and oigins of the solar system on Saturday. The Lucy mission will complete a 12-year journey to eight different asteroids: exploring one asteroid in the solar system’s Main Belt asteroid and seven Trojans, the remnants of our early solar system trapped in stable orbits, and following Jupiter in its path around the Sun. Lucy is scheduled to launch atop the ULA Atlas V 401 rocket at 5.34 a.m. on Saturday, (3.04 p.m. Indian time), from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. “It’s #CountdownToLaunch for our #LucyMission, set to launch October 16 and begin its voyage to the Trojan asteroids — leftovers of planet formation that share an orbit with Jupiter. We’ll discover secrets of the early solar system from these planetary fossils,” NASA wrote on Twitter. Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojans. The mission takes its name from the fossilised human ancestor (called “Lucy” by her discoverers) whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity’s evolution. Likewise, the Lucy mission will revolutionise our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system, NASA said. Time capsules from the birth of our Solar System more than 4 billion years ago, the swarms of Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets. The Trojans orbit the Sun in two loose groups, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind. Clustered around the two Lagrange points equidistant from the Sun and Jupiter, the Trojans are stabilised by the Sun and its largest planet in a gravitational balancing act. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. All of the Trojans are thought to be abundant in dark carbon compounds. Below an insulating blanket of dust, they are probably rich in water and other volatile substances. No other space mission in history has been launched to as many different destinations in independent orbits around our sun. Lucy will show us, for the first time, the diversity of the primordial bodies that built the planets. –IANS rvt/ksk/(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor