2026-09-05 16:13:42 UTC
JD 2461289.18
STATION 03 · ASTROMETRICS DOSSIER CRUISE

Lucy

NASA / SwRI / Goddard Target: Jupiter Trojan Asteroid Swarms In flight: 4y 10m (Launched Oct 16, 2021)
REAL-TIME ASTROMETRICS CONSOLE
FRAME: HELIOCENTRIC / J2000
Heliocentric Distance 2.86024 AU 427,886,135 km
Round-Trip Light Time (RTLT) 47m 35s One-Way Delay: 23m 47s
Spacecraft Velocity 25.30 km/s 91,080 km/h heliocentric
Trajectory Profile Resonant heliocentric loops visiting both L4 and L5 Jupiter Lagrange swarms Phase: Trojan Swarm Tour Cruise

01 Mission Architecture & Scientific Objectives

Lucy is the first mission to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids—primitive fossils of planet formation trapped in Jupiter's leading (L4) and trailing (L5) Lagrange points. Over its 12-year tour, Lucy will visit an unprecedented 10 asteroids, including the contact binary Patroclus-Menoetius.

02 Scientific Instrument Payload

Sensor Subsystem Scientific Measurement Function State
L'LORRI Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager
High-resolution panchromatic telescope for crater and shape modeling.
Active
L'Ralph Multispectral & IR Spectrometer
Searches for ice, silicates, and organic tholins on Trojan surfaces.
Active
L'TES Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Measures surface temperature and regolith grain size.
Active

03 Historical Astrometric Chronology

2021
Launch on Atlas V from Kennedy Space Center.
2022
First Earth gravity assist.
2023
Flyby of main-belt asteroid Dinkinesh; discovered contact-binary moon Selam.
2025
Flyby of asteroid Donaldjohanson.
2027
Arrival at first Jupiter Trojan asteroid Eurybates.