ASU’s Lucy and Psycho missions will give scientists unprecedented access to asteroids (one of which is believed to be a planetary core), helping to gain insights into the composition of all rocky planets in our solar system. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded ASU more than $27 million in new funding this year. Two planning grants of $3 million each were awarded for discovery space missions. Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton led the proposal to visit the asteroid Psyche. The proposed Lucy Mission, to observe asteroids in Jupiter’s orbit, includes instrumentation designed and built at ASU by Dr. Phil Christensen. Early in FY 2017, NASA selected both Psyche and Lucy for full development.
