5 Cool Things to Know about NASA's Lucy Mission to the Trojan Asteroids

 

Kailee Fino

10/21/21

Chemistry 9

Mr. Ippolito

Grossman, Lisa. “5 Cool Things to Know about NASA's Lucy Mission to the Trojan Asteroids.” Science News, Science News, 14 Oct. 2021, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nasa-lucy-first-mission-trojan-asteroids-launch-space. 

The Trojan asteroids are a very interesting, and very mysterious group of asteroids in our solar system. Located in the asteroid belt near Jupiter, the Trojans are possibly the most well preserved remnants of the early solar system; as for their Lagrangian point orbits mean that their orbits have remained constant for billions of years. In fact, it is very likely that they were placed in orbit during the violent birth of our solar system, and have remained there since. This makes them like time capsules with which we can peer into the birth of our solar system. This obviously makes them a captivating point of interest for study; which is why as of Saturday, the Lucy Satellite was launched into the outer edge of our solar system. Run by NASA, the satellite aims to study the Trojans, gathering vital information about not only the asteroids, but the possible birth of our solar system itself. The mission will span 12 years, and visit more asteroids then any other mission before it. It will first stop in the asteroid belt, before jumping to observe seven of the Trojans, which makes its flight path unprecedented. In fact, Lucy will be the first satellite to venture into the outer solar system, and then return to earth, as for, for the last leg of its mission, it will need to make a stop at Earth to refuel, an action that is necessary for it’s record-breaking flight — the longest ever for a solar-powered craft. This mission is a vital one, and truly represents the best of space exploration, and in the words of  NASA Administrator Bill Nelson,  "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, I can't wait to see what mysteries the mission uncovers!"

This article was very well-written, and very intriguing. Even I, as someone who is obsessed with the cosmos didn’t know of this mission’s existence! Let alone that it had already been launched. I learned a lot about Lucy, and the vitality of her mission. The article directly cites a couple of professional sources, alongside presenting  comprehensive, cited imagery. Furthermore, the article’s “Fun Fact” layout made it fun to read. In regards relevance of the topic, it couldn’t be more so. The Lucy mission, as aforementioned above, will contribute massively to science, giving us a window into our solar system’s distant past. It will, quite literally, redefine our knowledge of the birth of out solar system. It will uncover the mysteries of the Trojans. 

While this article was very informative and fun to read, it was not free from drawbacks. For instance, the “Fun Fact” layout made it so the focus of the article was on the asteroids the satellite was to visit, rather than the mission itself.  I was frustrated that it focused more on what Lucy will do, rather than what it has already done, as it painted a poor picture of the current status of the mission – the information that I really wanted. I would suggest the author make an overview of the mission before delving into the “fun facts” about it, including ample research on the current status of the mission. Who at NASA is spearheading it? Why did people start this mission in the first place?

This article was fascinating to read. I found myself being rather excited for the future of space exploration and astronomy.  If missions like this continue to launch, the expansion of our knowledge of outer space will be nothing short of massive. I’m excited to see what the future holds, and even more excited to see what Lucy uncovers about the mysterious Trojans. As space exploration becomes increasingly politicised, as billionaires venture out on billion dollar exhibitions of their wealth and power, under the guise of space exploration, it is refreshing to see a space exploration venture that is focused on what space exploration is supposed to be: for the betterment of science.