NASA's Lucy Mission Flyby Of Asteroid Dinkinesh

On Nov. 1 2023, NASA's Lucy spacecraft will fly by the small Main Belt asteroid Dinkinesh (previously known as 1999 VD57). This asteroid flyby was added to Lucy's list of targets in January 2023. The primary purpose of the Dinkinesh encounter is to test the spacecraft's Terminal Tracking System, which will keep Lucy's instruments pointing at the asteroid as it flies by at 10,000 miles per hour. The Lucy mission's record-breaking tour will now explore at least ten small solar system bodies. Lucy will have the close approach with Dinkinesh as the spacecraft skims the inner edge of the main asteroid belt. After the encounter, Lucy will head back towards Earth for its second gravity assist in December 2024. That assist will send the spacecraft to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids.