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Timeline

The Lucy mission is divided up into 6 phases:

Jump to current Phase E

Jump to the Next Upcoming Event

  • Sep 30, 2015

    NASA Selects Lucy Mission Concept, along with 4 other mission concepts, to receive funding for further study

  • Phase A

  • Jan 4, 2017

    NASA Selects Lucy as the 13th Discovery class mission

  • Phase B

  • Oct 20, 2018

    NASA approves Lucy Mission's Preliminary Design in the Preliminary Design Review

  • Phase C

  • Oct 21, 2019

    NASA approves the Lucy Mission's Detailed Design in the Critical Design Review

  • Aug 2020

    Lucy officially begin Assembly, Testing and Launch Operations (ATLO) at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado

  • Phase D

  • Oct 2020

    Construction and testing of the L'LORRI Instrument is completed at APL and it is delivered to Lockheed Martin

  • Dec 2020

    Construction and testing of the L'TES Instrument is completed at ASU and it is delivered to Lockheed Martin

  • Feb 2021

    Construction and testing of the L'Ralph Instrument is completed at NASA Goddard and it is delivered to Lockheed Martin

  • Jul 2021

    Lucy Spacecraft ships to Kennedy Space Center, Florida

  • Oct 16, 2021

    Lucy's launches on the first day of its launch period at 5:34 am ET on Oct 16, 2021!

  • Phase E

  • Oct 16, 2022

    Lucy has its first Earth flyby and gravity assist to transfer into a two year orbit

  • Lucy encounters the main belt asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh and its satellite

  • Dec 12, 2024

    Lucy has its second Earth flyby and gravity assist, sending Lucy out towards the Trojan asteroids

  • Apr 20, 2025

    Lucy encounters the main belt asteroid (52246) Donaldjohansen

  • Aug 12, 2027

    Lucy encounters the Trojan asteroid (3548) Eurybates and its satellite, Queta

  • Sep 15, 2027

    Lucy encounters the Trojan asteroid (15094) Polymele and its satellite, nicknamed "Shaun"

  • April 18, 2028

    Lucy encounters the Trojan asteroid (11351) Leucus

  • Nov 11, 2028

    Lucy encounters the Trojan asteroid (21900) Orus

  • Dec 25, 2030

    Lucy has its third Earth flyby and gravity assist

  • Mar 3, 2033

    Lucy encounters the binary pair (617) Patroclus and Menoetius

  • Phase F

  • 2033

    End of the Prime Mission. Lucy will continue to orbit the Sun, passing through the alternating Trojan swarms for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.


The Lucy mission is only possible due to the support of our Institutional Partners.