NASA Awards $350.83 Million Contract to Lockheed Martin for Lucy Spacecraft Mission
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The Frame
This contract allocates $350.83 million in federal funds to Lockheed Martin for the development and operation of a spacecraft designed to explore asteroids that may hold information about the formation of the solar system.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Lockheed Martin Corp
The company is the recipient of the $350.83 million contract and is responsible for the spacecraft's development and operation.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The agency is the funding source and overseer of the Lucy mission.
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Summary
Key Facts
- NASA awarded a contract worth $350.83 million to Lockheed Martin Corporation.
- The contract covers the design, development, testing, and operation of the Lucy spacecraft bus.
- The Lucy mission is tasked with exploring six Jupiter Trojan asteroids.
- Jupiter Trojan asteroids are located in two swarms that share Jupiter's orbit around the sun.
- The mission is based on the scientific theory that these asteroids are relics from an early era of the solar system.
- The asteroids may have originally formed far beyond Jupiter's current orbit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the Lucy mission?
What is Lockheed Martin's role in this project?
Why It Matters
This contract allocates $350.83 million in federal funds to Lockheed Martin for the development and operation of a spacecraft designed to explore asteroids that may hold information about the formation of the solar system.
News Coverage
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Focus on Solar System Origins
The mission explicitly targets asteroids believed to be relics from beyond Jupiter's current orbit, indicating a focus on deep-time solar system history.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.usaspending.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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