Nasa Trojan asteroids mission on course for October 2021 launch

Lucy spacecraft has passed its system integration review and can now be assembled and tested

Nasa's Lucy mission has passed a critical milestone in its development: all components of the spacecraft passed a system integration review (SIR) on 27 July, and it can now be assembled and tested in preparation for its October 2021 launch.

If it succeeds in its mission, Lucy will be the first spacecraft to explore the Trojan asteroids. These ancient space rocks share the same orbit as Jupiter, and are thought to be composed of the same material that made the gas giants of the outer solar system. During its 12-year mission, Lucy will fly by seven Trojan asteroids, collecting data to help reveal the formation history of the entire solar system.