NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Flies by Asteroid Donaldjohanson: A New Window into the Solar System
On April 20, 2025, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft made a close flyby of an asteroid known as Donaldjohanson — a pivotal event marking a new phase in our journey to understand the origins of our solar system. Far from being a routine maneuver, this flyby represented the first test of Lucy’s navigation and imaging systems before its deep dive into the mysterious Trojan asteroids.
Image credit: NASA / Southwest Research Institute
Meet Donaldjohanson: A Primordial Time Capsule
Donaldjohanson is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Measuring about 8 kilometers in length and 3.5 kilometers in width, its oddly-shaped surface resembles a warped bowling ball. Scientists believe this irregular shape could be the result of ancient collisions or billions of years of gradual transformation.
Image credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL
Why Was This Asteroid Chosen?
Donaldjohanson was chosen because of its optimal position for testing Lucy’s equipment. Named in honor of anthropologist Donald Johanson, who discovered the famous “Lucy” fossil in Ethiopia in 1974, this asteroid serves as a bridge between Earth’s evolutionary story and the cosmic history of our solar system.
“This flyby is a critical rehearsal for our real mission to the Trojans,” said Tom Statler, NASA scientist working on the Lucy mission.
The Journey of Lucy: Just Getting Started
Launched in October 2021, Lucy is the first mission designed to explore the Trojan asteroids — two groups of primitive space rocks sharing Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will visit eight different asteroids, with its first Trojan encounter expected in 2027.
Scientists hope the mission will provide crucial insights into the building blocks of planets and why Trojan asteroids have remained chemically unchanged, making them key to understanding our solar system’s ancient past.
Image credit: NASA / Goddard / SwRI
The Importance of Lucy’s Images
The images sent back from Donaldjohanson reveal stunning details of the asteroid’s surface and geological texture. These visuals allow researchers to build accurate 3D models and analyze the object’s physical and chemical properties. Each image provides a unique piece of the puzzle of how asteroids — and by extension, planets — were formed.
Are the Images Public?
Yes! NASA’s images are in the public domain and free for non-commercial use, as long as the source is properly credited. You can download high-resolution versions from NASA’s official image libraries:
A Glimpse into the Future of Space Science
Lucy’s successful flyby of Donaldjohanson is just the beginning. As the spacecraft continues its journey toward Jupiter’s orbit, more encounters with ancient asteroids lie ahead. Each one promises new revelations that could reshape what we know about the solar system’s birth and evolution.
With every byte of data and every frame captured, Lucy brings us closer to answering the age-old question: Where did we come from — and what’s out there?
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