NASA’s Lucy spacecraft is blazing a trail toward Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, and exciting new research suggests Lucy could add another stop to its journey.
Potential for an Extra Asteroid Visit
According to a recent study, a slight course correction could allow Lucy to encounter an additional, yet-undiscovered sub-kilometer asteroid while traversing the L5 cloud of Jupiter’s Trojans. This maneuver would open up fresh opportunities for scientific discovery, giving researchers a rare chance to compare objects from both of Jupiter’s Trojan clouds.
Enhancing Lucy’s Scientific Value
Lucy’s mission already promises groundbreaking insights into the early solar system by studying these ancient asteroids. A new asteroid flyby could help scientists understand the diversity and origins of the Trojans even better. With just a minor tweak to its trajectory, Lucy might gather even more data, widening the scope of its mission and potentially revealing secrets about the building blocks of our solar system.
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