Shortly after launch, one of the two solar panels on spacecraft Lucy didn't fully deploy. Has the Lucy team managed to finish deployment since? If not, will there be any more attempts to deploy it?
1 Answers
It appears NASA is biding their time, analyzing their options, and tentatively planning an attempt to latch the array in April. No need to rush, and the entire mission can probably be accomplished without doing anything.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/lucy/2022/01/12/lucy-cruising-to-orbit-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 are producing ample energy, charging the spacecraft’s battery as expected under normal operating conditions.
The current plan supports a latch attempt in the late April timeframe; however, the team is continuing to study the possibility of leaving the array as is. In the meantime, in the lab, they are testing a dual motor solar array deployment using both the primary and backup motor. The testing aims to determine if engaging both motors at the same time applies enough force to complete the deployment and latch the solar array.
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