NASA is sending its Lucy spacecraft to examine what are called ‘Trojan asteroids’ surrounding Jupiter. The Trojan asteroids, called ‘time capsules from the birth of our solar system’ by NASA, have survived by being stuck between the orbit of Jupiter and Saturn, thereby preventing them from leaving the Solar System.
The spacecraft, named for the fossil which gave us greater insight into human evolution, will jump from asteroid to asteroid in a quest to better under the never explored entities.
Since Lucy will be so far away from the sun, the solar panels used to fuel it are massive. Capable of covering a building 5 floors high. The panels will take a total of twenty minutes to expand, a period which will be critical for the success of the entire mission.
