Timeline

Phase D: System Assembly, Integration, and Launch!

Now that all of the components are designed, built, and tested, it is finally time to assemble the final spacecraft. All of the spacecraft systems and instruments will be integrated into the final spacecraft body and there will be substantial testing to make sure that all of the system requirements will be met. Once the spacecraft is assembled, tested and verified, it will be time for the big event of Phase D, launch!

Lucy will launch out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, in October 2021. It has a 21 day launch window beginning on Oct 16. In order to get on the correct orbit, Lucy must launch early in the morning (at 6am local time) during a short window each day. If for some reason Lucy is unable to launch during this window, there will be another opportunity a year later.

After Lucy has launched there will be more engineering tests of all of the systems to make sure that Lucy is working as expected and successfully on its long, circuitous path to the Trojan Asteroids. This will signal the transition to Phase E