NASA, ULA launch Lucy spacecraft to Trojan asteroids

NASA and United Launch Alliance launched NASA’s next asteroid exploration mission – Lucy spacecraft. Mission launched at 5:34 AM EDT (09:34 UTC) on Saturday, October 16, from SLC-41 in Florida. Lucy will visit a total of eight asteroids on a 12-year primary mission.  Mission objective is to investigate these Trojan asteroids, which have never been visited by another spacecraft. It will become the first spacecraft to ever visit eight separate planetary bodies in a single mission.

Flybys performed by the spacecraft include:

• 16 October 2022, Earth – 300 km gravity assist
• 13 December 2024, Earth – 350 km gravity assist
• 20 April 2025, 52246 Donaldjohanson – 922 km flyby
• 12 August 2027, 3548 Eurybates – 1000 km flyby
• 15 September 2027, 15094 Polymele – 415 km flyby
• 18 April 2028, 11351 Leucus – 1000 km flyby
• 11 November 2028, 21900 Orus – 1000 km flyby
• 26 December 2030, Earth – 660 km gravity assist
• 2 March 2033, 617 Patroclus-Menoetius – 1000 km flyby