NASA's Lucy spacecraft is on its way to the Trojan asteroids, but it swings by Earth's atmosphere on the first anniversary of its launch.
Lucy maneuvered around Earth before heading back out into space to learn about the formation of the solar system, Digital Trends writes.
Lucy Pays A Visit In Earth's Atmosphere
On Sunday, NASA's Lucy spacecraft was lowered 220 miles above the planet's surface, passing through satellites and debris in the process.
The exploration satellite was visible to lucky spectators in Western Australia who have been skywatching to see Lucy disappear into the Earth's shadow.
NASA said that this visit was part of the first gravity assist that aims to put Lucy in a new trajectory for a two-year orbit that gives it the energy to cross the main asteroid, Fox News says.
This slingshot maneuver coincides with the one-year anniversary of Lucy' launch on October 16 last year, which kicks off a 12-year-long mission to Jupiter's asteroids.
In a statement by NASA, Rich Burns, Lucy project manager, said that Lucy was originally going to fly by 30 miles closer, but passed slightly higher to reduce disturbance in the solar arrays.
This small correction is allegedly part of an effort to avoid potentially catastrophic collisions in outer space, according to CNN World.
Digital Trends writes that as Lucy moved away from Earth, the spacecraft also passed by the moon, giving it the opportunity to take images for calibrations and stand-ins for investigation.
"Counting craters to understand the collisional history of the Trojan asteroids is key to the science that Lucy will carry out," John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute claims.
He believes that the few images will provide Lucy the chance to improve its ability to detect craters by comparing it to previous space explorations.
Once Lucy reaches the Trojan asteroids, it will be the first to visit the remnants of an early solar system, which will help scientists theorize how the planets formed and how they will end.
Lucy Has A Long Way To Go
According to NASA, the Trojan asteroids are trapped around the sun's orbits, which is why gravitational assists from Earth are necessary to maintain Lucy's trajectory.
With this, the spacecraft is bound for three slingshot returns with its second one expected to launch it directly to the main asteroid belt where it will observe asteroid Donaldjohanson.
In this launch, Lucy will reportedly fly past six Trojan asteroids namely Eurybates and its satellites Queta, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus, according to Space.
Lucy is expected to make its last come back in 2030, which will send it toward an encounter with the Patroclus-Menoetius binary asteroid pair before returning to each for the final time.
NASA invited the public to join the #WaveToLucy social media campaign by posting about their encounter with the spacecraft in their areas.
They also provided instructions for observing Lucy once it passes by the Earth again, which can be accessed through this link.
Related Article: NASA Lucy Mission to Jupiter: Full Milestone Dates Before Spacecraft Reaches Trojan Asteroids!
