NASA's Lucy to fly past thousands of objects for Earth gravity assist NASAGoddard
Mission engineers will track NASA's Lucy spacecraft nonstop as it prepares toto use this planet's gravity to set itself on a course toward the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
The International Space Station, for instance, has maneuvered out of the way of space debris 31 times since 1999, including three times since 2020. But Lucy has a long way to go before it arrives at the Trojans in 2027. The upcoming gravity assist is one of three the spacecraft will rely on to catapult itself to its deep-space targets.
Determining the positions of spacecraft, plus orbiting satellites and debris, is challenging, particularly when trying to anticipate the future. Largely that's because the Sun plays a major role in pulling or pushing objects around, and future solar activity is hard to predict. For example, the Sun's activity—how much plasma and radiation it shoots out—affects atmosphere density, and thus how much friction will tug on a spacecraft and slow it down.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
r/nasa - We're scientists and navigation engineers with NASA's Lucy mission, which is zooming past Earth this weekend on its journey to explore the Trojan asteroids in Jupiter’s orbit. Ask us anything!Our LucyMission is zooming past Earth this weekend on its journey to explore the Trojan asteroids in Jupiter's orbit. Want to learn more? Mission experts are answering your questions now on our Lucy Reddit AMA:
Read more »
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center: Exploring Earth and space by remote controlThis NASA center for climate research and Earth observation manages several missions, like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Read more »
NASA Conducts 'Dangerous' Test of a Vacuum Gun to Study Space Rock CollisionsThe tests could lead to effective protective measures against micrometeoroid impacts, which threaten spacecraft and robotic missions.
Read more »
Astronauts returning home from space station splash down off Florida coast | CNN BusinessNASA and SpaceX's Crew-4 mission departed the International Space Station Friday, bringing four astronauts home after a nearly six-month stay in space.
Read more »
5 things to know for October 14: January 6, Parkland, Raleigh, Ukraine, NASA | CNNThe future of some of America's beloved retail stores is looking questionable right now amid fierce competition online. Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, Party City, Tuesday Morning and Joann are among several chains that may not survive a recession due to their elevated risk of bankruptcy, according to credit agencies.
Read more »
SpaceX capsule leaves Space Station, to bring 4 astronauts back to EarthThe fourth long-duration astronaut team launched by SpaceX to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA safely departed the orbiting outpost on Friday to begin their flight back to Earth, capping a science mission of nearly six months.
Read more »