Open AccessLucy Mission to the Trojan Asteroids: Science Goals
Author(s) -
Harold F. Levison,
C. B. Olkin,
K. S. Noll,
S. Marchi,
A. A. Fraeman,
E. B. Bierhaus,
Richard P. Binzel,
W. F. Bottke,
D. T. Britt,
Michael E. Brown,
M. W. Buie,
P. R. Christensen,
Joshua P. Emery,
W. M. Grundy,
Victoria E. Hamilton,
C. J. A. Howett,
S. Mottola,
M. Pätzold,
Dennis C. Reuter,
J. R. Spencer,
Thomas S. Statler,
S. A. Stern,
J. M. Sunshine,
Harold A. Weaver,
Ian Wong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the planetary science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2632-3338
DOI - 10.3847/psj/abf840
Subject(s) - trojan , asteroid , spacecraft , payload (computing) , jupiter (rocket family) , solar system , astrobiology , panchromatic film , planetary science , astronomy , lagrangian point , remote sensing , imaging spectrometer , physics , spectrometer , computer science , geology , multispectral image , optics , computer network , network packet
The Lucy Mission is a NASA Discovery-class mission to send a highly capable and robust spacecraft to investigate seven primitive bodies near both the L 4 and L 5 Lagrange points with Jupiter: the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These planetesimals from the outer planetary system have been preserved since early in solar system history. The Lucy mission will fly by and extensively study a diverse selection of Trojan asteroids, including all the recognized taxonomic classes, a collisional family member, and a near equal-mass binary. It will visit objects with diameters ranging from roughly 1 km to 100 km. The payload suite consists of a color camera and infrared imaging spectrometer, a high-resolution panchromatic imager, and a thermal infrared spectrometer. Additionally, two spacecraft subsystems will also contribute to the science investigations: the terminal tracking cameras will supplement imaging during closest approach and the telecommunication subsystem will be used to measure the mass of the Trojans. The science goals are derived from the 2013 Planetary Decadal Survey and include determining the surface composition, assessing the geology, determining the bulk properties, and searching for satellites and rings.