Animations by
Walt Feimer
Released on October 19, 2022
NASA’s Lucy mission is heading to the Jupiter Trojans – two swarms of primitive asteroids trapped in Jupiter’s orbit that may hold clues to the formation of the planets. Lucy launched on October 16, 2021, spent a year in orbit around the Sun, and returned home on its launch anniversary for the first of three Earth gravity assists. The maneuver boosted Lucy’s speed and elongated its orbit around the Sun, setting it track for a second flyby of Earth in December 2024. This page provides artist concept animations depicting Lucy’s first Earth gravity assist.