Space is an interesting topic, because there are so many mysterious things about it, discovered and a lot undiscovered. Each planet has its unique elements, and have yet to be further explored. NASA is developing technology and planning more missions to explore these planets, and the spacecraft “Lucy” is going on one of these missions.

The spacecraft Lucy was launched on October 16, 2021, and is the first to go on a space mission to study the Trojans. The Trojans are asteroids that orbit the sun in two groups. One group is leading ahead of Jupiter and the other behind.

Why are these specific groups of asteroids being explored? The sun reinforces the Trojans and Jupiter in a gravitational balancing act. This is the key to discover how the solar system was formed. This will not be revealed quickly though, because this mission will last for twelve years. Lucy is traveling to several destinations.

First, Lucy will orbit the sun for one year, coming back to Earth in October 2022 for a gravity assist. The purpose of a gravity assist is to accelerate a spacecraft. This will make Lucy travel beyond Mars, coming back to Earth in 2024 for another gravity assist. It will then return to Earth in 2031 to get another to go to the Trojans.

What exactly are the Trojans? As said before the Trojans are the way to discover the birth of our solar system, but how? Well, the Trojans are made up of rock grain and ice that did not merge with the planets when they were formed. This is the best evidence that NASA can collect from that long ago, therefore can explain how the solar system came to be.

There have been many space explorations, but do you ever wonder why space is explored? How will discovering the history of the solar system benefit us? This Lucy mission can answer big questions that humanity might ponder about, such as what has already been mentioned: how the solar system was formed, and even questions about things on Earth.

Astronomers will be able to tell us where the Earth’s organic materials and water came from. Explorations can help to expand industries and technology. “Lucy embodies NASA’s enduring quest to push out into the cosmos for the sake of exploration and science, to better understand the universe and our place within it,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I can’t wait to see what mysteries the mission uncovers!”