Launched into space to study asteroids in the solar system, the Lucy spacecraft has successfully started the first phase of its mission. Lucy, who started a 12-year long mission, reached space with a successful takeoff with the Atlas V rocket developed by ULA.
The spacecraft, developed by NASA to explore the Trojan asteroids located next to Jupiter’s Lagrangian points, will be the first vehicle to discover the most asteroids at the same time. Accordingly, Lucy is scheduled to discover 8 asteroids during her 12-year tenure.
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Lucy will understand the evolution of the solar system
An hour after takeoff, Lucy left the Atlas V rocket, which will help understand the evolution of the solar system and will see many different asteroids until reaching the Trojan asteroid, considered “fossils” of planet formation.
Continuing on its way with the second engine after this separation, the spacecraft successfully continues the first leg of its journey. Lucy, who will receive her first gravitational support around the world in October 2022, started to charge her batteries before starting her orbit around the sun.
Lucy will return to Earth in 2024 for another gravitational assist, and in 2025 she will pass near the Donaldjohanson asteroid (near the main asteroid belt). Then in 2027 the spacecraft will first visit the first swarm of Trojan asteroids in front of Jupiter. It will then revisit Earth for a third gravity assist in 2031. Finally, in 2033, it will see the asteroid swarm for the second time.
Lucy, who started her mission in space with 20 messages placed on her, has two Turkish messages. While one of these messages became a proverb, one was penned by Orhan Pamuk. The proverb placed on Lucy said, “When the ax entered the forest, most of the trees said, “At least the straw is one of us”.
Orhan Pamuk wrote: “We would like to love more, laugh more, think more. We would like to see more, understand more, trust more. All that’s left of us now are these wishes and these words. There was peace, dreams, sleep and kisses. There were also people, fruits, papers and pens. Because nothing can be as amazing as life. Except for the text. Yes, of course, except the one consolation letter.” shaped.