Lucy Spacecraft Readies for Journey to the Trojan Asteroids of Jupiter - The Cosmic Companion 4 August 2021
The first mission ever to explore the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter, the Lucy spacecraft, is one step closer to launch.
The Lucy spacecraft - the first ever designed to explore the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter - readies for its historic launch.
On 30 July, an Air Force C-17 cargo plane touched down on a runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A massive shipping container was rolled off the craft. The precious cargo inside, revealed in an Astrotech cleanroom, was examined, and cleared by inspectors.
The Lucy spacecraft had arrived safely at the space center, readying for its upcoming historic mission. This vehicle, designed by the Southwest Research Institute, will be the first to visit the Trojan asteroids which accompany Jupiter on its orbit around the Sun.
If everything goes according to plan, an Atlas V 401 rocket will lift the Lucy spacecraft into space, sometime between 16 October and 8 November.
Join us on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion on 14 September, when we talk with Dr. Cathy Olkin of the SouthWest Research Institute, Deputy Principal Investigator for the Lucy Mission.
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