Photo credit: science.nasa.gov
NASA has officially announced the selection of eight scientists to participate in its Lucy mission, which aims to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These celestial bodies are considered remnants from the early solar system, securely positioned in stable orbits that are associated with, but not directly near, the planet Jupiter.
The initiative, known as Lucy in the L4 Trojans Participating Scientist Program, enables these scientists to conduct innovative research that seeks to resolve critical questions regarding the Jupiter Trojan asteroids within the context of the Lucy mission. Launched in 2021, the Lucy spacecraft is currently en route to the L4 Trojan group, which trails Jupiter in its solar orbit. This announcement marks the initial cohort of participating scientists, who will contribute to the mission’s science team during its encounters with four major asteroids in the L4 region, scheduled for 2027 and 2028. Their involvement will extend through 2030 for ongoing scientific analysis.
The scientists selected to join this mission are:
- Harrison Agrusa, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
- Benjamin Byron, University of Central Florida, Orlando
- Emily Costello, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
- Masatoshi Hirabayashi, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta
- Fiona Nichols-Fleming, Smithsonian Institution, Washington
- Norbert Schorghofer, Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Arizona
- Jennifer Scully, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Southern California
- Anne Verbiscer, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
The principal investigator for the Lucy mission, Hal Levison, is affiliated with the Boulder, Colorado, branch of the Southwest Research Institute, which is headquartered in San Antonio. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center located in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the overall management of the mission, ensuring engineering integrity and safety protocols. The spacecraft was developed and is operated by Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Lucy is recognized as the 13th mission within NASA’s Discovery Program, with the program being managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the Science Mission Directorate located at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
For further details regarding NASA’s Lucy mission, please visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/lucy
Source
science.nasa.gov