NASA launches the Lucy spacecraft. On a 12-year mission, Lucy will study the Trojan asteroid Jupiter and gather knowledge about the solar system.
Lucy became the first solar-powered spacecraft to venture so far from the sun and observe more asteroids.
An Atlat V rocket was used to propel the plane to take off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, Saturday (16/10).
Lucy will study the Trojan asteroid Jupiter and gather new knowledge about the formation of the solar system.
On the 2025 voyage, Lucy will meet the asteroid Donaldjhanson in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. Then between 2027 and 2033, the craft will encounter seven Trojan asteroids.
Scientists believe that the Trojan asteroid holds important clues about the part of the planets in the solar system.
The name Lucy comes from a human fossil skeleton found in Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy's fossil skeleton provides important insights into human evolution.
