Lucy Spacecraft's Gravity Assist Maneuver Around Earth

NASA's Lucy mission, launched on October 16, 2021, is embarking on a unique celestial dance through space. After a year in orbit around the Sun, Lucy is returning home on its launch anniversary for the first of three Earth gravity assists. On October 16, 2022, Lucy will gracefully glide past Earth, akin to a partner in a swing dance, in a maneuver that will enhance its speed and alter its solar orbit. This elegant celestial pas de deux will reach its closest point at just 219 miles above Earth, a remarkable proximity lower than the International Space Station's orbit. This exceptionally close encounter will catapult Lucy's velocity by four-and-a-half miles per second, propelling it on a trajectory to acquire even greater speed when it revisits Earth for its second gravity assist in December 2024