1 day / second
0.5 AU
NEAR Shoemaker
Spacecraft
A robotic space probe that conducted extensive observations of asteroid 433 Eros from 2000-2001, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit and land on an asteroid.
Key Facts
organization | NASA |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 1996-02-17 |
defunct | 2001-02-28 |
launch mass | 805 kg |
power | 1,800 watts |
Mission Timeline
Launched
February 17, 1996 at 20:43 UTC
253 Mathilde
Flyby
NEAR Shoemaker made its closest approach to 253 Mathilde on June 27, 1997, passing within 1,200 kilometers of the dark, carbon-rich asteroid while capturing over 500 images and revealing its heavily cratered surface.
433 Eros
Orbiter
NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to orbit and land on an asteroid, studying Eros for over a year before touching down on its surface on February 12, 2001.
Defunct
February 28, 2001 at 00:00 UTC
After successfully orbiting and studying asteroid 433 Eros for over a year, NEAR Shoemaker completed its mission by executing the first-ever landing on an asteroid, touching down gently at a speed of 1.9 meters per second.
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