# Lucy

> thirteenth mission of the Discovery program; multiple-flyby reconnaissance of five Jupiter trojans

**Wikidata**: [Q21076293](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21076293)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(spacecraft))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lucy-q21076293

## Summary
Lucy is a NASA spacecraft serving as the thirteenth mission of the Discovery program, designed to conduct multiple flyby reconnaissance missions targeting five Jupiter Trojan asteroids. It launched in 2021 to study these primordial remnants of the solar system's formation.

## Key Facts
- **Mission Type**: First spacecraft dedicated to exploring Jupiter Trojan asteroids (flying by multiple targets).
- **Launch Date**: October 16, 2021, at 09:34 UTC from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41.
- **Launch Vehicle**: Atlas V 401 (AV-096), provided by United Launch Alliance.
- **Mass**: 1550 kg at launch; 821 kg dry weight.
- **Dimensions**: 2.78 m length, 3.78 m height (without solar arrays), 15.79 m width (spacecraft solar array extended).
- **Operator**: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Southwest Research Institute.
- **Part of Program**: NASA's Discovery Program (13th mission).
- **Significant Flybys**: Planned encounters with asteroid Dinkinesh (2023), DonaldJohanson (2025), Eurybates (2027), Polymele (2027), and Leucus (2027), plus Earth gravity assists (2022, 2024).
- **Principal Investigator**: Harold F. Levison.

## FAQs
### Q: Why is the mission named "Lucy"?
A: The spacecraft is named after the famous 3.2-million-year-old hominin fossil "Lucy," as the mission aims to unlock the "fossilized secrets" of the early solar system preserved in the Jupiter Trojans.

### Q: How many asteroids will Lucy visit?
A: Lucy is scheduled to conduct a series of flyby reconnaissance missions targeting a total of eight distinct celestial bodies: one main-belt asteroid (Dinkinesh), seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids (Eurybates, Polymele, Leucus, Orus, Patroclus, Menoetius, and another), including flybys of multiple moons (e.g., Dinkinesh's satellite).

### Q: What powers the Lucy spacecraft?
A: Lucy relies on two large, circular solar arrays provided by Northrop Grumman Space Systems, generating approximately 504 watts of power.

### Q: Who built Lucy's scientific instruments?
A: Key contributors to the spacecraft and payload include Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Arizona State University, Lockheed Martin Space, Goddard Space Flight Center, Malin Space Science Systems, and Toray Advanced Composites.

## Why It Matters
Lucy's mission is critical to understanding the formation and evolution of the solar system. Jupiter Trojans are considered primordial remnants from the planet-forming era, trapped in stable points at Jupiter's orbit. By studying their composition, structure, and physical properties through close flybys, Lucy will provide unprecedented insights into the raw materials available during planetary formation and the processes that shaped our solar system. It will test theories about how planetary migration occurred, offering a window into the history of our cosmic neighborhood. This unique reconnaissance mission significantly expands humankind's knowledge of the solar system's building blocks and early dynamics.

## Notable For
- **First Mission to Jupiter Trojans**: The first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the diverse population of Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
- **Multiple Flyby Targeting**: Designed for and successfully executing the first-ever reconnaissance flyby of a Jupiter Trojan (Eurybates targeted for 2027), with plans for multiple Trojan encounters.
- **Unique Earth Gravity Assists**: Utilizing multiple Earth gravity assists (2022, 2024) to gain the precise velocity needed to reach the Trojan asteroids despite their complex orbital paths.
- **Flyby of Dinkinesh**: Successfully performed the first flyby of a small Jupiter Trojan candidate asteroid (152830 Dinkinesh) and discovered it has a moonlet (2023).
- **Pathfinder Mission**: It successfully performed the first flyby of a Main Belt asteroid on its trajectory to the Trojans (Dinkinesh in 2023).

## Body
### Overview
Lucy is a NASA space mission under the Discovery Program, designated as the 13th Discovery mission. It is operated by NASA and managed by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Its primary objective is to conduct reconnaissance flybys of multiple Jupiter Trojan asteroids. The mission is led by Principal Investigator Harold F. Levison of SwRI, with Deputy Principal Investigator Simone Marchi.

### Mission Objectives
Lucy aims to understand the origins and evolution of the solar system by studying the Jupiter Trojans. These asteroids are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the giant outer planets. The mission focuses on characterizing the geology, surface morphology, color, composition, and mass distribution of its targeted Trojan asteroids to gain insights into their physical nature and formation history.

### Spacecraft Details
- **Type**: Flyby probe (class), designed to conduct close reconnaissance passes rather than orbiting targets.
- **Dimensions**: 2.78 m (length), 3.78 m (height), 15.79 m (width with solar arrays deployed). The solar arrays, designed by Northrop Grumman Space Systems, are 7.19 m in height when deployed.
- **Mass**: 1550 kg at launch, 821 kg dry weight.
- **Power Source**: Spacecraft solar arrays generating approximately 504 watts.
- **Instruments:** Payload includes instruments contributed by various institutions (see Key Facts).
- **Launch Cost:** $989.1 million (development, construction, rocket launch, and operation costs, as of 2021).
- **Tracking:** Assigned NASA identifier (NAIF ID: -49) and COSPAR/NSSDCA ID: 2021-093A.

### Operational History
- **Project Selection:** January 4, 2017.
- **Critical Design Review:** October 21, 2019.
- **Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations:** Commenced August 2020.
- **Launch:** October 16, 2021, from Cape Canaveral SLC-41 atop an Atlas V 401 rocket (AV-096), launched by United Launch Alliance.
- **Key Events:**
    - October 16, 2022: First Earth gravity assist.
    - November 1, 2023: Successful flyby of asteroid 152830 Dinkinesh (discovered it has a moonlet).
    - December 13, 2024: Second Earth gravity assist.
    - April 20, 2025: Flyby of asteroid DonaldJohanson.
    - August 12, 2027: Flyby of Trojan 3548 Eurybates.
    - September 15, 2027: Flyby of Trojan 15094 Polymele.
    - Future: Flybys of Orus, Patroclus, Menoetius, and another planned target.

### Leadership & Management
- **Principal Investigator:** Harold F. Levison (Southwest Research Institute).
- **Deputy Principal Investigator:** Simone Marchi (Southwest Research Institute).
- **Development & Manufacturing:** Lockheed Martin Space (primary spacecraft), Northrop Grumman Space Systems (solar arrays), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, Arizona State University, Malin Space Science Systems, Toray Advanced Composites.
- **Management:** NASA Headquarters; Mission Operations managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

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## References

1. [Source](https://investors.lockheedmartin.com/news-releases/news-release-details/nasas-lucy-spacecraft-built-lockheed-martin-starts-journey/)
2. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lucy/spacecraft/)
3. [Source](https://spacenews.com/lucy-eyes-the-moon-again/)
4. [Source](https://www.compositesworld.com/news/nasas-lucy-spacecraft-built-by-lockheed-martin-begins-journey-to-jupiters-trojan-asteroids)
5. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-launch-services-contract-for-lucy-mission)
6. Jonathan's Space Report
7. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/content/lucy-spacecraft-and-payload)
8. [Source](http://lucy.swri.edu/timeline.html)
9. [Source](https://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Timeline.html)
10. [Source](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/10/lucy-first-earth-flyby/)
11. [Source](https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2024/lucy-discovers-a-double-moon-around-asteroid-dinkinesh)
12. [Source](https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Lucy_completes_key_Earth_gravity_assist_maneuver_999.html)
13. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/lucy/2024/12/10/nasas-lucy-spacecraft-prepares-for-second-earth-gravity-assist/)
14. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-lucy-spacecraft-images-asteroid-donaldjohanson/)
15. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/lucy/2025/04/20/nasas-lucy-spacecraft-completes-asteroid-donaldjohanson-flyby/)
16. [Source](https://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Targets.html)
17. [Source](https://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Spacecraft.html)
18. [Source](https://www.planetary.org/space-policy/lucy-cost)
19. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)
20. [Source](https://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Meet-the-team.html)