Gourt > Science > Technology > Space > Missions > Unmanned > Asteroids and Comets > Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous - Shoemaker (NEAR Shoemaker), renamed after its launch in honor of planetary scientist Eugene M. Shoemaker, is an unmanned spacecraft designed to study the near-Earth asteroid Eros from close orbit over a period of a year. The primary scientific objectives of NEAR were to return data on the bulk properties, composition, mineralogy, morphology, internal mass distribution and magnetic field of Eros. Secondary objectives include studies of regolith properties, interactions with the solar wind, possible current activity as indicated by dust or gas, and the asteroid spin state. These data will be used to help understand the characteristics of asteroids in general, their relationship to meteorites and comets, and the conditions in the early solar system. To accomplish these goals, the spacecraft was equipped with an X-ray/gamma ray spectrometer, a near-infrared imaging spectrograph, a multi-spectral camera fitted with a CCD imaging detector, a laser rangefinder, and a magnetometer. A radio science experiment was also performed using the NEAR tracking system to estimate the gravity field of the asteroid. The total mass of the instruments was 56 kg, and they required 81 W power.
Mission profile
- Launch date/time: 1996-02-17 at 20:43:27 UTC
- On-orbit dry mass: 487 kg
- Nominal power output: 1800 W
Asteroids :: Asteroids, Comets and Meteors
Discovery Program :: NASA
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous : GMAT Sentence Correction (SC) http://tinyurl.com/yccuefw
uevale7oqkf (Valerie Wang) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:01:33 -0000
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous : GMAT Sentence Correction (SC) http://tinyurl.com/yccuefw
Asteroid rendezvous: Better luck next year.(Near Earth Asteroid... http://tinyurl.com/yz2ubg6
kathleepe41p (Kathleen Kirby) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:33:25 -0000
Asteroid rendezvous: Better luck next year.(Near Earth Asteroid... http://tinyurl.com/yz2ubg6
Boulders Seen on Asteroid - An image from NEAR's low orbit showing massive boulders on the surface of Eros.
Encore Flight Mulled for Amazing Asteroid Lander - On the morning after the NASA robot ship made the first landing on an asteroid, mission scientists were trying to figure out how much more science they could squeeze from the small craft.
Meta Description: [ LAUREL, Maryland (CNN) - What next for NEAR-Shoemaker? On the
morning after the NASA robot ship made the first landing on an
asteroid, mission scientists were trying to figure out how much
more science they could squeeze from the small craft. ]
Gold rush in space? - Article on NEAR's first encounter with Eros. Suggests that the asteroid may contain trillions of dollars worth of precious metals.
Meta Description: [ The most detailed analysis ever of an asteroid suggests that the next gold rush could be in outer space. ]
How Asteroids Work - Illustrated description of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft.
Meta Description: [ The asteroid Eros is 21 miles long and 8 miles thick -- a mini-planet! Explore the mission that landed on this asteroid after orbiting it for a year. ]
Mission Archive: NEAR Encounter at Eros - A large collection of news stories and images, from Space.com.
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous at Eros - MultiSpectral Imager (MSI) research and Eros mission data.
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission - NEAR - First spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, to answer fundamental questions about the nature and origin of near-Earth objects, such as the numerous asteroids and comets in the vicinity of Earth's orbit. First launch in the Discovery Program, a NASA initiative for small planetary missions.
Meta Description: [ Home of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Discovery Mission ]
NEAR Information - Detailed mission information, images, and links related to the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
NEAR Science Update - A scientific news briefing summarizing the discoveries made by NEAR.
NEAR Team Deactivates Spacecraft's Near-Infrared Sensor - Status report on the Near-Infraed Sensor and implications for the mission.
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