Almost 1 week since launch and almost 2 million miles from Earth! The launch perfectly placed Lucy where it needed to be, no trajectory correction needed!
Check out this nice overview of the
#LucyMission
by
@colkin
and Simone Marchi
#CountdowntoLaunch
! 11 days until the start of the
#LucyMission
's epic voyage! In order for Lucy to explore 6 asteroid systems over 12 years, we will need to drive the spacecraft. Lucy's 5 Deep Space Maneuvers and 3 Earth Gravity Assists will keep the spacecraft on target!
🏠 Home, home on Lagrange! We successfully completed our burn to start
#NASAWebb
on its orbit of the 2nd Lagrange point (L2), about a million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth. It will orbit the Sun, in line with Earth, as it orbits L2.
#UnfoldTheUniverse
The Lucy Spacecraft is getting ready for its first
#EarthGravityAssist
! The solid curves show where Lucy (and the Earth) have traveled in the past year, while the dashed curves show what comes next. Lucy is currently only 9 million miles (38x the distance to the Moon) from Earth!
This photo might not look like much, but it is one of the first images returned by the
#LucyMission
from space! The star field is courtesy of Lucy's Terminal Tracking Camera (T2Cam). All of Lucy's science instruments passed their preliminary tests with flying colors!
At closest approach during
#EarthGravityAssist
, Lucy will be deep into low Earth orbit, below the current altitude of the International Space Station! Stay tuned for info about how you can
#SpotTheSpacecraft
from Earth if you live in Australia or western North America.
Just hours left until the
#LucyMission
's first close up look at an asteroid!
Check out for the encounter timeline and latest updates!
Find links to the full story in one place here:
The left solar panel appears to have not fully deployed, but as the spacecraft is safe, stable, and power-positive there is no rush as team members work to understand the situation.
The the current status can be found at :
🚀 Tomorrow at 5:34 a.m. ET,
@NASA
's
#LucyMission
will begin its journey to the Trojan Asteroids! Tune in as we
#CountdownToLaunch
with live coverage starting at 5 a.m. ET.
📺:
💻:
Happy Halloween!
We are expecting quite a treat tomorrow when Lucy has its first close encounter of the asteroidal kind! Learn how and why NASA is visiting the small main belt asteroid, Dinkinesh, here:
One year from today will be the final day of Lucy's Launch window! After Lucy has launched, it will take around 6 years to reach the
#TrojanAsteroids
. But once it is there, is will stay on an orbit that passes through the asteroid swarms for hundreds of thousands of years!
Happy Birthday Lagrange! Here at the
#LucyMission
our two favorite Lagrange points are of course L4 & L5, but which are yours?
Learn more about Lagrange points here!
The Lucy spacecraft is being prepped for encapsulation in its
@ulalaunch
payload fairings. Today's photos are some of the last captured before it is sealed away for launch! 🚀
The
#LucyMission
has completed Step 1 of its Solar Array Deployment Attempt! The team successfully ran both of the deployment motors together for a short amount of time. Now the team will analyze the spacecraft data and prepare for Step 2!
Full info at:
One year from today will be day 8 of Lucy's launch window! Each day Lucy only has a short amount of time (~1 hour) when
@NASAKennedy
is in the right spot so that the Earth's rotation can give Lucy the extra ooph it needs to get started on its journey to the
#TrojanAsteroids
!
Sept 26,
@NASA
's
#DARTMission
will collide with the asteroid Dimorphos in the first ever
#PlanetaryDefence
test mission. The
#LucyMission
is back in the neighborhood and has a chance to observe this historic event!
Join Lucy in watching the DART impact!
37 days until launch! Lucy passed its powered tests with flying colors. The spacecraft is now ready to be mated to the launch vehicle and the next step will be fueling!
Get excited for Lucy's launch with the great cartoon series, new episodes every week!
Meet Lucy, space archaeologist. Lucy is getting ready for a trip to the Trojan asteroids, leftover rocks from the same material that formed the outer planets. Enjoy episode 1 of “Lucy’s Journey,” a weekly web series about our
#LucyMission
, set to launch October 16.
#SpotTheSpacecraft
update: The Lucy Team in Boulder and Littleton, Colorado were stuck with overcast skies, but two intrepid team members made a roadtrip to Scottsbluff, Nebraska and spotted Lucy with a telescope and shared what they saw. Whoot!
#LucyMission
#EarthGravityAssist
Just two months until the
#LucyMission
's launch period opens! What are your plans for 5:34am ET on October 16? Set your alarm and cheer Lucy on as we launch this first ever voyage to the
#TrojanAsteroids
!
Less than 24 hours until Lucy's first
#EarthGravityAssist
! Lucy is now closer to the Earth than the Moon. You can't see Lucy right now, but Lucy can see you! Head outside and
#WaveToLucy
Check to see if Lucy will be visible from your location
Every wonder how mission artwork is painted on the
#AtlasV
4-meter payload fairing? Check out this time lapse of artist Dennis DuBose painting the
@LucyMission
artwork and
@NASA
logo at our Harlingen, TX facility.
#LucyMission
IMPACT SUCCESS! Watch from
#DARTMIssion
’s DRACO Camera, as the vending machine-sized spacecraft successfully collides with asteroid Dimorphos, which is the size of a football stadium and poses no threat to Earth.
Joseph-Louis Lagrange died
#OnThisDay
in 1813, but we can remember him as we look at the final
#LagrangePoint
, L5! This point makes an equilateral triangle with the Sun and planet, just like L4, but L5 trails the planet in its orbit.
On October 16, the Lucy spacecraft will fly within 219 miles of Earth, using the planet's gravity to propel it farther out into the solar system in a technique knowns as an Earth Gravity Assist. Let the countdown begin!
#LucyMission
#EarthGravityAssist
Lucy started observing the Didymos/Dimorphos system this morning, and is excitedly waiting for the anticipated
#DARTMission
impact!
Watch live starting at 6pm ET/2pm PT
T-minus two years to launch! Two years from today Lucy's launch window will open. At 4:59 am ET on Oct 16, 2021, Lucy may be on its way to the
#TrojanAsteroids
!
One year from today marks the middle of Lucy's launch window!
#LucyFact
: Though Lucy will go farther from the Sun than any other solar powered spacecraft, it won't break records for
#solarpanel
size. Higher efficiency panels mean that record is held by
@ESA
's
#Rosetta
mission!
Road trip!
#LucyMission
PI, Hal Levison, wrapped up the L-3 press briefing today and invited the Lucy communications team to drive out to the vertical integration facility at Kennedy Space Center. Lucy is way up there in the nose cone waiting for launch on Saturday!
Happy 284th Birthday to Joseph-Louis Lagrange! In 1772, Lagrange found what are now known as Lagrange points -- imaginary points in space that the Trojan Asteroids orbit around.
We are at L-3! Watch the Lucy Press Briefing at 1pm ET / 10 am PT to get the most up to date information on Lucy's outlook for launch in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday Oct 16!
A non-expert opinion, weather is currently looking beautiful for launch!
Less than one month until the
#LucyMission
gets a close up look at its first asteroid, the small Main Belt asteroid, Dinkinesh!
Check out the new resources page for more fun Lucy content as we get ready for this first encounter!
With the discovery that the
#TrojanAsteroid
Polymele has a satellite, Lucy is now planning to visit not 7, not 8, but 9 asteroids on its 12 year voyage!
Check out our latest post for a behind-the-scenes look at how this satellite was discovered!
Lagrange points are the 5 imaginary points in space relative to a central object (e.g. the Sun) and an object going around it (e.g. a planet) where, if you place something at exactly that point, it will stay in the same relative position to the other two objects.
Looking for something fun to do today?
Visit and get a 3D view of everything going on in the solar system! Check out the view that Lucy has of the
#DARTMission
and fast forward in time to see Lucy's
#EarthGravityAssist
!
Our
#LucyMission
was already set to break records by visiting 9 asteroids during its 12-year mission. Now it will be adding another asteroid flyby to its 4-billion-mile journey. The new flyby will also provide a test run for later encounters. 🛰🪨 More:
Lucy has passed its Pre-Ship Review! The Lucy team did an amazing job assembling and testing this spacecraft under challenging conditions, and is excited to send Lucy on this last 1,500 mile journey to Florida before its 4 billion mile journey exploring the
#TrojanAsteroids
!
Noticed how bright Jupiter has been? The Earth is almost as close as it ever gets to the giant planet, and so is Lucy! While the
#TrojanAsteroids
share an orbit with Jupiter, they never get close to it. So Lucy will never get a better view of Jupiter than you can get right now!
Girl Scout troop 65367 in Englewood, Colorado learned all about the
#LucyMission
to earn their Space Science badges. They shared this sweet photo from their launch celebration with us. Girl Scouts + Lucy = Cookies (obviously!)
@GSColo
Today marks
#100Days
until the
#LucyMission
's first launch window opens! Join us each day as we count down to Lucy's epic journey to the
#TrojanAsteroids
and celebrate the process of turning a
#NASA
mission from a vision into reality!
#CountDownToLaunch
! Tomorrow is Launch Day!
The spacecraft is safely stowed, integrated on the rocket, and sitting on the launch pad. The weather looks great for launch tomorrow at 5:34am ET!
Join us virtually!
What a great
#ILoveLucyDay
!
Officially T-1 days until
@NASAPersevere
's Launch! Only 442 days, 21 hours, and 8 minutes until Lucy will be sitting on the exact same launch pad, one day until our own launch! Good Luck Perseverance! 🚀
#CountdownToMars
Image Credit:
@ulalaunch
#MaytheFourthBeWithYou
! Next week, the Lucy team is planning to use the Force (of two small motors) during the first step of the
#LucyMission
's solar array redeployment attempt. For full details, go to
May the Force be with us all!
Today we are remembering Lucy Vodden, who died 10 years ago today. As a child she inspired Julian Lennon to make a drawing, which inspired John Lennon to write a song, which inspired a team of anthropologists to name a fossil, which inspired us to name a mission.
We are officially one year until the Lucy Launches! The Institute of Human Origins is celebrating with us by opening the Lucy in Space Contest for Middle and High School Students!
Like a soft, warm blanket,
#LucyMission
is encapsulated inside the
#AtlasV
4-meter payload fairing that will protect it during launch to begin an epic journey to Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
#ToryTimelapse
2021 has been an incredible year for the
#LucyMission
! Through this challenging year, the Lucy team worked together to assemble a spacecraft and launch it safely! There will be still be challenges in the New Year, but together we are optimistic this team can overcome anything!
Remember to get out tonight and
#ObserveTheMoon
! Lucy is now only 4.5 million miles from the Earth, that's less than 19 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
Happy Perihelion Day! The Earth closer to the Sun today than it will be for the rest of the year. Lucy is still traveling away from its Sun after its first perihelion last July.
Where is Lucy now? Thanks to
@SpaceMarschall
, now you can keep track of the progress of the
#LucyMission
straight from the main page!
And if you want more details, head on over to
or
One year from today will be the second to last day of Lucy's launch window! Remember: Always have a backup plan! If Lucy is unable to launch during its window next year, it can skip the first Earth flyby/gravity assist and directly launch in to the same trajectory in Oct 2022!
As of last week, Lucy is headed back to Earth. Since its launch last year, Lucy had been moving away from the Earth. Now it is returning as the
#LucyMission
prepares for the first Earth Gravity Assist this October!
Check out the full tour here:
The
#LucySpacecraft
now has all of its scientific instruments! With the delivery and integration of L'Ralph Lucy has all the "eyes" it will need to learn about the
#TrojanAsteroids
!
Mark your calendars! 13 years from today will be the grande finale of the
#LucyMission
, a close up look at the binary asteroids Patroclus and Menoetius!
Big day for the
#LucyMIssion
! We've reached Key Decision Point E!
Today
@NASA
gives the green light for the spacecraft to actually launch and move on to the longest mission phase: Phase E - Operations!
This is where all the science happens!
Lucy's four cameras and instrument pointing platform (IPP) have been tested and are all in good shape for the mission! Check out some of the first images here:
#LucyMission
We are getting the telescope ready to send to Australia to observe the Lucy target Orus as it passes in front of a star! By observing this occultation, we can really pin down Orus's orbit and learn more about its size (and even its shape!)
The
#LucyMission
will travel to a record breaking seven
#TrojanAsteroids
and one main belt
#asteroid
during a single mission! Here's the trajectory from a vantage point rotating with Jupiter.
Visit to learn more!
You may have read about Lucy's launch vehicle in the news. Launch is always a tricky business, and we are thrilled that everything is lined up for the
@ULAlaunch
#AltasV
and Centaur to take Lucy to the
#TrojanAsteroids
! Just a bit over a month until encapsulation!
We are 1 year from launch window day 19!
#LucyFact
-- by the next presidential election Lucy will have travelled 16 AU (the distance from the Earth to the Sun), yet will only be 1/4 AU from Earth! This path allows the Earth's gravity to help Lucy get out to the
#TrojansAsteroids
!
@NASAWebb
is scheduled to launch tomorrow at 7:20am ET!
Webb will observe the
#LucyMission
#TrojanAsteroids
in the near and mid-infrared, with unparalleled spectral resolution. Lucy's high spacial resolution images will allow us to place these into context!
Today is L-10 days until the
#LucyMission
launch window opens!
✅ Spacecraft is encapsulated
✅ Launch vehicle has been tested
Do you want a behind the scenes look as we
#CountdownToLaunch
?
Sign up for the Mission's Virtual
#NASA
Social!
It is official! The paper announcing the discovery of the satellite around the
#LucyMission
target Eurybates has been published. Looking forward to learning a lot more about this satellite when Lucy flies by in August 2027!
Once you are done designing, it is time to build! PI Hal Levison and DPI
@colkin
are at
@LockheedMartin
where they are testing engineering models of the flight hardware.
The Lucy Team is getting ready for the Mission Critical Design Review. This will be the big transition between designing and actually building the spacecraft!
Lucy Fun Fact: At closest approach during Lucy's Earth Gravity Assist, the spacecraft will come withing 351km (219 miles) of the planet's surface. Only 28 days to go!
#EarthGravityAssist
#LucyMission
#CountDownToEGA