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Lucy

    NASA’s Lucy Mission Continues Solar Array Deployment Process

    UPDATE AS OF JUNE 20, 2022: The Lucy team executed another deployment attempt on June 16. Although there was still no latch, the attempt reeled in additional lanyard and further stabilized the array. Future opportunities still exist to repeat the deployment commands if necessary. ————————- UPDATE AS OF JUNE 14, 2022: The Lucy team executed …

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    NASA’s Lucy Team Completes Step One of the Solar Array Deployment Attempt

    On May 9, NASA's Lucy team executed the first of two planned steps in its efforts to complete the deployment of the spacecraft's unlatched solar array. This first step was time-limited and was intended to validate that the team's ground testing adequately represented the flight system's performance, rather than to latch the solar array. Analysis …

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    NASA’s Lucy Mission Is “Go” for Solar Array Deployment Attempt

    On April 18, NASA decided to move forward with plans to complete the deployment of the Lucy spacecraft's stalled, unlatched solar array. The spacecraft is powered by two large arrays of solar cells that were designed to unfold and latch into place after launch. One of the fan-like arrays opened as planned, but the other …

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    Lucy Cruising Outbound; Testing Solar Array Options on Ground

    The Lucy spacecraft, launched on Oct. 16, 2021, is now over 30 million miles, or 48 million kilometers, from Earth and continues to operate safely in "outbound cruise" mode. Besides a solar array that didn't latch after deployment — an issue the mission team is working to resolve— all spacecraft systems are normal. The arrays …

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    NASA Zeroing in on Path Forward for Lucy Solar Array

    NASA plans to conduct additional ground tests on an engineering model of the Lucy solar array motor and lanyard prior to potentially attempting full deployment of one of the probe's solar arrays. A project team completed an assessment Dec. 1 of the ongoing solar array issue, which did not appear to fully deploy as planned …

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    Lucy Instruments Checkout A-OK

    NASA's Lucy spacecraft continues to operate in cruise mode – the standard mode for its orbit away from Earth. Checkouts for the Lucy instruments were successfully completed Nov. 8, and all instruments are working normally. Following checkout completion, the instruments were powered off, and the remaining spacecraft subsystem commissioning activities are continuing as scheduled. Lucy's …

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    NASA’s Lucy Instruments Powering On and Working Normally

    The Lucy spacecraft continues to operate in cruise mode – the standard mode for outbound orbit. The team has begun turning on instruments. L'TES and L'Ralph have been powered on and are working normally. Turning on L'LORRI is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2021. Other than the solar array, all subsystems continue to work normally. The …

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    Lucy Stable in Cruise Mode

    The Lucy spacecraft remains in cruise mode, which is the standard flight mode for outbound flight and allows for substantial autonomy for the spacecraft. The spacecraft has successfully executed several small planned maneuvers, which have had no adverse effect on the one solar array that is not fully deployed. On Oct. 29, NASA will adjust …

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    Lucy Spacecraft Healthy as NASA Continues Solar Array Assessments

    NASA's Lucy spacecraft successfully transitioned to cruise mode Oct. 20, which is the standard configuration for flight. The following day, the instrument pointing platform was deployed after temporarily being postponed earlier in the week. Both events were normal and raised no concerns. The spacecraft remains stable, power positive, with all other subsystems working, with the …

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