Aster › Space program › Patroclus–Menoetius
Patroclus–Menoetius
Position on the route: 35/130 · level needed 100 · journey (Mk0 engine) 16.4 h
By the numbers
| Diameters | ≈ 113 km and ≈ 104 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 11.9 years |
| Mutual orbit | 4.3 days |
| Lucy | 2033 |
The story
Patroclus and Menoetius are the best-known binary among the Trojan asteroids that drift along Jupiter’s orbit, 60° behind the planet (the L5 point). About 113 and 104 km across, they circle each other 680 km apart every 4.3 days; they are named for two heroes of the Trojan War.
NASA’s Lucy (2021) was sent to tour the Trojans and will visit this pair in 2033. The Trojans count as ‘fossils’ left from the formation of the planets: they may have kept icy material like comets.
Missions
- Lucy (NASA, 2021–2033): the Trojan tour
Colony note
On Jupiter’s orbit but far from Jupiter; low radiation. A base for ice.
What probes bring back
- A binary Trojan asteroid drifting 60° behind Jupiter (L5): about 113 and 104 km, circling each other every 4.3 days.
- NASA’s Lucy (2021) will fly by in 2033; these bodies are ‘fossils’ from the early Solar System.