Meaningful Progress in NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Solar Array Deployment Fix
Starting on May 6 and continuing through June 16, NASA’s Lucy mission group carried out a multi-stage effort planned to deploy the spacecraft’s unlatched solar array further. Throughout the thorough process, the team commanded the spacecraft to operate the array’s deployment motor for restricted periods, enabling them to monitor the spacecraft’s reply closely.
Consequently, of this work, the mission prospered in more deploying the array and currently estimates that the solar array is between 353 degrees and 357 degrees open (out of 360 total degrees for a fully implanted array).
Furthermore, the array is under significantly more tension, giving it considerably more stabilization. Due to this, the mission group is increasingly positive that the solar array will effectively fulfill the mission’s demands in its current tensioned and stabilized state.
Meanwhile, more implementation efforts will be paused as the Lucy spacecraft gets into a planned period of limited communications. Because of thermal restrictions created by the relative positions of the Earth, spacecraft, and Sun, the spacecraft will be capable of communicating with the Earth via its high-gain antenna for many months. During this time, the spacecraft will utilize its low-gain antenna to remain in contact with Lucy’s ground group.
After its Earth gravity assists maneuver on October 16, the spacecraft will arise from this partial communications blackout. At that time, the mission group will have more opportunities to try more deployment efforts if deemed required.
On June 21, the spacecraft effectively accomplished a trajectory correction maneuver which is the second in a series of maneuvers to prepare the spacecraft for its Earth flyby.
Released on October 16, 2021, Lucy will be the initial space mission to explore the Trojan asteroids, a population of small bodies left over from the solar system’s formation. In their orbit surrounding the Sun, they guide or follow Jupiter and might inform us concerning the origins of organic materials on Earth.
Lucy will fly by and execute remote sensing on six different Trojan asteroids and research surface geology, surface color and composition, asteroid interiors/bulk properties, and observe the Trojans’ satellites and rings.
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