NEAR to an Asteroid
Explanation:
Excitement mounts as
NASA's
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft nears
launch -
currently scheduled for 3:53 ET on February 16.
NEAR's mission
is to become the first spacecraft to rendezvous with and orbit
an asteroid, the asteroid designated
433 Eros.
After achieving Eros orbit in 1999, project plans are to
explore
the asteroid for 1 year from this premiere vantage point, perhaps
approaching to within 15 miles of the surface.
For comparison,
above is an image
of the limb of
asteroid Ida
made by the Galileo spacecraft from a
distance of about 1,500 miles, the highest resolution image of an
asteroid surface - so far. It is hoped that
NEAR will go far towards
answering questions
about the nature and origin of
near Earth asteroids.
These objects are thought to
contain clues to the formation of the inner planets and influence the evolution
of the atmosphere and life on Earth.
Are asteroids and meteorites related?
Do asteroids ever strike the Earth?
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
