Nasa mission's out of this world for PhD student

Duncan Lyster, a PhD student from Herefordshire, is currently experiencing an incredible opportunity by working with NASA, the renowned space agency in the United States. A few years back, Duncan was just a regular student studying physics in a small market town called Ross-on-Wye. Now, he finds himself in the US for three weeks, contributing to a NASA mission that aims to uncover the ancient secrets of our solar system. Duncan expressed his excitement, saying, 'It's really cool! ' He is involved in the Lucy mission, which is a significant project that costs around $980 million and will span over 12 years. The mission focuses on studying Jupiter's trojans, which are groups of asteroids that orbit the largest planet in our solar system. These asteroids are believed to date back to the very beginnings of the solar system. Duncan explained that the mission is named after the Lucy fossil, which was the first fossil discovered of an upright, walking human. Just as the Lucy fossil taught us much about early humans, the goal of the Lucy mission is to learn about the early solar system and how it formed. While working on this project, Duncan has had the chance to meet some prominent figures in the scientific community, including Dr. Brian May, the guitarist from the famous rock band Queen. Dr. May, who also holds a PhD in astronomy, was a delightful surprise for Duncan. He remarked, 'There are some really big names in science here. ' Duncan was amazed to work alongside individuals whose research has influenced his own studies over the past year and a half. His fascination with space began in childhood, and he continues to be in awe of the science behind launching probes into space. He described the process, saying, 'You're aiming at this tiny point of light, which you can only see with the most powerful telescopes. ' The spacecraft is traveling at an astonishing speed of 30,000 miles per hour relative to the asteroids, and Duncan finds it mind-boggling that scientists can predict its trajectory with such precision. When they receive images from the spacecraft, it feels like a special moment, as they get to see a new asteroid that no one has ever observed before. Duncan, who attended John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye, fondly remembered his physics teacher, Mr. Toomer, who inspired him during his studies. Now, as he is far from home, he contemplates the possibility of traveling to space himself. He stated, 'If anyone's going to offer me a ride, I certainly won't say no. ' He also pondered the age-old question of whether intelligent life exists beyond Earth. Duncan believes that the universe is vast, with countless star systems, and that almost every star has planets orbiting it. He concluded, 'I think it is overwhelmingly likely that there's something out there.