NASA to launch Lucy probe to investigate Jupiter asteroids

Named after an ancient fossil of a pre-human ancestor, Lucy will become the first solar-powered spacecraft.

NASA was set on Saturday to launch a spacecraft called Lucy on a 12-year mission to explore for the first time a group of rocky bodies known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, gathering new insights into the solar system's formation.

The Atlas V rocket responsible for propelling the probe is scheduled to take off on Saturday at 5.34am local time (9.34am GMT, 3.04pm IST) from Cape Canaveral.