Mission · Asteroids & comets
Lucy
Flyby spacecraft with a record number of targets
- Status
- Cruise
- Launched
- 16 Oct 2021
- Target
- Jupiter's Trojan asteroids
- Agencies
- NASA, SwRI
- Next
- Aug 2027 flyby of Trojan (3548) Eurybates and its moon Queta
Summary
The first mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, "fossils" from the era when the planets formed. Over 12 years it will fly past more than eight asteroids.
Now as of 3 Nov 2026
Cruising towards the Trojans at the L4 point. The first Trojan is Eurybates (about 64–68 km, C-type) with its moon Queta, in August 2027. NASA gives both 11 and 27 August, trackers give 12 August (SwRI — mission tour).
Key dates
- 16 Oct 2021Launch (Atlas V)done
- 1 Nov 2023Flyby of Dinkinesh (discovery of its moon Selam)done
- Dec 2024Earth gravity assistdone
- 20 Apr 2025Flyby of Donaldjohansondone
- Aug 2027Eurybates and Quetaplanned
- Sep 2027Polymeleplanned
- Apr 2028Leucusplanned
- Nov 2028Orusplanned
- Mar 2033Binary Trojan Patroclus–Menoetiusplanned
Timeline
- 20 Apr 2025Flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson — NASA