NASA launches Lucy Mission to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids

The US space agency NASA has launched a first-of-its-kind mission called ‘Lucy Mission‘ to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. The mission life of Lucy is 12-year, during which the spacecraft will fly by a total of eight ancient asteroids to study about solar system’s evolution. These will include one main-belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

About the Lucy mission

• The Lucy mission will mark NASA’s first single spacecraft mission in history to explore so many different asteroids.
• The Lucy probe was launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 16, 2021.
• Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids are two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of the primordial material that formed the solar system’s outer planets.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams

• NASA administrator: Bill Nelson.
• Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
• NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.