New Horizons deputy project scientist Cathy Olkin of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO discusses what they hope to learn from the flyby of Ultima Thule, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
New Horizons co-investigator Cathy Olkin of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) speaks about Kuiper Belt object MU69, Ultima Thule, during an overview of the New Horizons Mission, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
New Horizons co-investigator Cathy Olkin of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) speaks about Kuiper Belt object MU69, Ultima Thule, during an overview of the New Horizons Mission, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Cathy Olkin, Lucy Deputy Principal Investigator, Southwest Research Institute, is introduced during a science briefing for the Lucy mission held inside the TV Auditorium at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 14, 2021. The mission is scheduled to launch at 5:34 a.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 16, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, is managing the launch. During its 12-year primary mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids, flying by one asteroid in the solar system’s main belt and seven Trojan asteroids. Additionally, Lucy’s path will circle back to Earth three times for gravity assists, making it the first spacecraft to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system.
A science briefing for the Lucy mission is held inside the TV Auditorium at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 14, 2021. Participants included, from left to right, Adriana Ocampo, Lucy Program Executive, NASA Headquarters; Cathy Olkin, Lucy Deputy Principal Investigator, Southwest Research Institute; Keith Noll, Lucy Project Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Hal Weaver, L'LORRI Instrument Principal Investigator, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; Phil Christensen, L'TES Instrument Principal Investigator, Arizona State University; and Dennis Reuter, L’Ralph Instrument Principal Investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Lucy is scheduled to launch at 5:34 a.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 16, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, is managing the launch. Lucy is the first space mission to study the Trojan asteroids, which hold vital clues to the formation of our solar system.