NASA's Lucy spacecraft is scheduled for a close flyby of the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025, at 13:51 EDT. This encounter will bring the spacecraft within 960 kilometers of the asteroid.
The primary purpose of this flyby is to test Lucy's systems and gather valuable scientific data. Since early March 2025, Lucy has been taking images of the asteroid to improve trajectory calculations, ensuring a precise and informative encounter.
The Lucy mission aims to explore the origins and evolution of our solar system by studying asteroids like Donaldjohanson. This flyby represents a significant step in achieving the mission's goals, providing critical insights into the asteroid's characteristics and behavior.