Donaldjohanson is roughly three miles wide. NASA says data on its shape, surface geology and cratering history could offer independent insight into its evolution. Ground-based observations suggest it could be elongated and rotate slowly; research co-author David Vokrouhlický says thermal forces may have slowed its spin over time. [S1]

The encounter also gives the mission team an engineering opportunity. According to principal investigator Hal Levison, main-belt encounters allow tests of the spacecraft’s navigation system before its study of the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. Lucy’s 12-year mission planned visits to 11 asteroids. [S1]

The work is shared across institutions: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the mission and provides systems engineering and safety assurance, while Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft. The mission’s principal investigator is based at Southwest Research Institute’s Boulder, Colorado, branch. [S1]

Source documents

  1. New Modeling Assesses Age of Next Target Asteroid for NASA’s Lucyhttps://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/new-modeling-assesses-age-of-next-target-asteroid-for-nasas-lucy/