L’Ralph is one of the Lucy spacecraft’s three primary science instruments. The L’Ralph instrument is a multicolor camera which will gather information on the surface composition of the Trojan asteroids, including organics. The L’Ralph camera sits atop the spacecraft’s Instrument Pointing Platform (IPP) that’s used to aim Lucy’s instruments in a specific direction – seen here in the clean room at Lockheed Martin in Denver, Colorado, in late January 2021. Credit: Lockheed Martin
Throughout its production, the Lucy spacecraft is maneuvered into different positions to accommodate the integration and test of various elements. The spacecraft is seen here in February 2021 on its rotation fixture in the Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver Colorado, as its Instrument Pointing Platform (left) with three core instruments was installed. Credit: Lockheed Martin
By Nancy Neal Jones
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Lauren Duda
Lockheed Martin Space