Set to launch on October 16, the Lucy spacecraft is designed to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. These asteroids are small bodies left over from the formation of our solar system’s large planets. They share an orbit with Jupiter as the planet goes around the sun The mission’s aim is to gather new information about the solar system’s formation 4.5 billion years ago.
Lucy will observe eight asteroids over 12 years. One of the eight asteroids orbits in what is known as the Asteroid Belt, an area between Mars and Jupiter. Most known asteroids orbit within this area. The spacecraft will also observe seven Trojan asteroids. Scientists consider the Trojan asteroids to be the ancient remains of the formation of the solar system. They have stayed captured in Jupiter’s orbit for billions of years. The Trojans orbit the sun in two groups—one that’s ahead of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, and a second one that lags behind it. Lucy will be the first spacecraft designed to visit and observe these asteroids.
The spacecraft was named Lucy after the ancient fossil discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy was one of the most famous scientific finds of the 20th century. The collection of skeletal bones gave scientists a better understanding of the evolution of humans. Cathy Olkin, the deputy lead investigator for the Lucy mission, compared the NASA spacecraft to the Lucy fossil. “Just like the Lucy fossil transformed our understanding of human evolution, the Lucy mission will transform our understanding of solar system evolution,” she said.
The spacecraft is equipped with several imaging instruments designed to capture information about the composition of materials on the surface of asteroids. Other equipment will be used to record asteroid surface temperatures and measure the size of the objects the spacecraft observes. Lucy will depend on solar power to operate. NASA says the mission expects to set a record because Lucy will travel farther from the sun than any past solar powered spacecraft.
Lori Glaze, the director of NASA’s planetary science division, said, “Whatever Lucy finds will give us vital clues about the formation of our solar system.”
【小题1】What is the mission of the Lucy spacecraft?A.To collect soil samples from Jupiter. | B.To explore the surface of Trojan asteroids. |
C.To search for life on Mars. | D.To find out the origin of solar system. |
A.Moves. | B.Catches. | C.Leads. | D.Hides. |
A.The evolution of humans. | B.The significance of the Lucy mission. |
C.The inspiration for the name Lucy. | D.The introduction to the Lucy fossil. |
A.It moves a little slow with its big size. | B.It has an imaging instrument. |
C.It gets closer to the sun than other spacecraft. | D.It is powered by solar energy. |