NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully completed a close flyby of asteroid Donald Johanson on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at 1:51 p.m. EDT. This marks the second flyby since its launch in October 2021 and serves as a crucial test for the spacecraft's systems before it begins observing the Jupiter Trojan asteroids in 2027.
Initial data indicates that the spacecraft is in good condition. The mission team will spend the next week downloading and analyzing the data collected during the encounter to gain a better understanding of the asteroid's characteristics. This flyby acts as a dress rehearsal for the more complex Trojan asteroid encounters ahead.
The Lucy mission aims to explore the origins and evolution of the solar system by studying a record-breaking number of asteroids. Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will visit a total of 10 asteroids, including nine Jupiter Trojans. These asteroids share Jupiter's orbit around the Sun and are believed to hold vital clues about the formation of the outer planets. Asteroid Donald Johanson, named after the discoverer of the Lucy hominin fossil, is a main belt asteroid that provided a valuable opportunity to test the spacecraft's instruments and systems.