{
  "id": 222845,
  "title": "NASA’s Lucy Begins Camera Tests Ahead of 2027 Trojan Flybys",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/nasas-lucy-begins-camera-tests-ahead-of-2027-trojan-flybys",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-06T14:06:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NASA Science",
    "slug": "nasa-science",
    "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/lucy/2026/08/06/nasas-lucy-begins-camera-tests-ahead-of-2027-trojan-flybys/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA's Lucy mission, preparing for its 2027 encounter with Trojan asteroids, has initiated camera tests ahead of the flybys. Scientists have been instructing the spacecraft to direct its high-resolution L'ORRI camera towards the future targets, Eurybates, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus, located hundreds of millions of miles away. These observations, despite the asteroids appearing as mere pinpricks of light, will aid in determining the optimal camera settings for Lucy's upcoming visits, which commence in 2027. The spacecraft will approach these celestial bodies at velocities up to 16,000 mph, capturing photos in visible and infrared light, as well as gathering additional data during each flyby. Lucy is the first mission dedicated to studying Trojan asteroids – celestial bodies that circle the Sun in two swarms along Jupiter's orbit, although they are not located near the giant planet itself. Launched in October 2021, the Lucy spacecraft is scheduled to embark on a 12-year journey, observing a total of eight Trojan asteroids. Observing these asteroids from different angles than Earth-based telescopes will allow researchers to gather crucial information about their surfaces and composition, ultimately helping to unravel the history of our solar system.",
  "summary": "Preparing for the NASA Lucy spacecraft’s first Trojan asteroid encounters, mission scientists have begun instructing the spacecraft to turn its cameras toward its future targets. From hundreds of millions of miles away, the asteroids appear as pinpricks of light. Yet, these early observations will help the team select the best camera settings for Lucy’s upcoming […] The post NASA’s Lucy Begins…",
  "key_points": [
    "NASA's Lucy mission starts camera tests for 2027 Trojan asteroid flybys.",
    "Scientists instruct high-resolution L'ORRI camera to focus on Eurybates, Polymele, Leucus, and Orus.",
    "Lucy's 12-year journey will observe eight Trojan asteroids from different angles."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}