'NASA' Sets To Launch Latest Missions; 'Lucy' & 'Psyche" To Study Unique Asteroids; Discovery Program Continues Solar System Exploration

By Carrie Winters - 05 Jan '17 16:50PM
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"NASA" is set to do two missions to study unique asteroids for its Discovery Program. These two projects are called Lucy and Psyche.

According to a report, these missions will put the program back on track after a certain time that "NASA" had no missions. Lucy and Psyche are set to launch by the year 2020. The cost cap for each of the missions is up to $450 million.

These latest missions will explore the solar system more. It is also set to study about strange asteroids in space. Lucy will be the first launched in 2021. The mission will be led by Harold Levison of Southwest Research Institute. It will then visit the main belt of the asteroid in 3025 before it ends up to the final destination. Psyche on the other hand is the next to launch on 2023.

These missions are part of NASA's Discovery program. The program has been launched in 1992 and it was desogned to promote a better, faster and cheaper solar system exploration. This was then headed by NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin.

It is also reported that the Discovery programs are missions that are shorter and more focused. The mission is designed to help people understand how the sun and the family of planets are formed. It also will help most understand how these can change overtime.

Meanwhile, a report indicates that the Lucy project will study Trojan asteroids. These Trojan asteroids share the same orbit as Jupiter. The Psyche mission will explore the asteroid belt. This is where a huge metallic asteroid called the 16 Psyche is located.

Scientists believe that there are two streams of the Trojan asteroids. One of these Trojan asteroids trails Jupiter and the other one leads the planet around the sun. These are two missions that "NASA" is recently preparing for.

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