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NASA's Lucy Prepares for Asteroid Flyby in 2024

4/14/2025

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Summary

Story summary

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is gearing up for an exciting second encounter with the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2024, paving the way for future Trojan asteroid missions. In a remarkable collaboration, University of Maryland student Oliver O’Brien and his team have studied the eclipsing asteroids Patroclus and Menoetius, delivering vital insights for Lucy's ambitious flyby in 2033.

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Story summary

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is gearing up for an exciting second encounter with the asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2024, paving the way for future Trojan asteroid missions. In a remarkable collaboration, University of Maryland student Oliver O’Brien and his team have studied the eclipsing asteroids Patroclus and Menoetius, delivering vital insights for Lucy's ambitious flyby in 2033.