During its 12-year mission, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will explore eight asteroids. It will explore more asteroids than any previous mission. On its way out to the Trojan asteroids, Lucy will fly by the main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025. There, Lucy will fly by five of these L4 Trojans: Eurybates and its …
Lucy’s twin solar arrays have deployed. Acquisition of the signal has been confirmed and health of the spacecraft is being checked. Lucy is now operating on its own power and begins its journey to reach the Trojan asteroids.
We have spacecraft separation! Cheers and applause can be heard from the launch teams as the Lucy spacecraft separates from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V Centaur upper stage to fly freely for the first time. In just a few minutes, the spacecraft’s solar arrays will deploy.
The second engine burn of the Centaur has ended. Next up will be separation of the Lucy spacecraft from Centaur.
The second engine burn of the Centaur upper stage has begun and will last for about six minutes.
The first engine burn of the Centaur upper stage has ended. Centaur, with the Lucy spacecraft, is now in a coast phase.
The Centaur upper stage main engine has started its burn following on-time booster engine cutoff and Atlas/Centaur separation. The first of two burns for the Centaur main engine start will last nearly eight minutes. The payload fairing has been jettisoned.
We have booster ignition and liftoff of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 5:34 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying NASA’s Lucy spacecraft! The rocket is on its way, carrying the spacecraft to begin its voyage to explore the Trojan asteroids. About four minutes …
The NASA launch conductor has polled mission managers for “go” to launch. The Lucy countdown is now underway, proceeding toward a liftoff at 5:34 a.m. EDT. During the last four minutes of the countdown, the Atlas and Centaur propellant tanks will be brought up to flight pressure, the rocket and spacecraft will be confirmed on …
A weather update from Will Ulrich, weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron, reports conditions look good for launch of the Lucy mission.
