500 watts for Lucy
500 watts for Lucy
At distances of 700 to 800 million kilometres from the Sun – Jupiter's orbit, like the orbits of all planets, is not perfectly circular but elliptical – the power density of solar radiation averages only 12.6 watts per square metre. By comparison, Earth receives 1361 watts per square metre, approximately 100 times more solar energy. In order for a spacecraft like Lucy to still be able to operate using solar power at these distances from the Sun (which was technically impossible two decades ago), it needs two very large solar panels, each 7.3 metres in diameter. At the mission’s furthest distance from the Sun, they can supply the spacecraft with 504 watts of power.
