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Topic: Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous

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	NEAR Shoemaker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		The Earth gravity assist swingby occurred on January 23, 1998 at 7:23 UT. The closest approach was 540 km, altering the orbital inclination from 0.5 to 10.2 degrees, and the aphelion distance from 2.17 to 1.77 AU, nearly matching those of Eros.
		A new plan was put into effect in which NEAR flew by Eros on December 23, 1998 at 18:41:23 UT at a speed of 965 m/s and a distance of 3827 km from the center of mass of Eros.
		A rendezvous maneuver was performed on January 3, 1999 involving a thruster burn to match NEAR's orbital speed to that of Eros.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker (1452 words)

	Discovery Missions: Near
		On February 17, 1996, NEAR was the first Discovery Program spacecraft to be launched and it became the first ever to orbit and land on an asteroid.
		On February 14, 2000, the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft began its year-long orbit of asteroid Eros determine its mass, structure, geology, composition, gravity, and magnetic field.
		Eros is the largest of the so-called near-Earth asteroids whose orbits cross that of Earth's.
	discovery.nasa.gov /near.html (641 words)

	Near Shoemaker - Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
		NEAR Shoemaker was the first spacecraft to orbit around an asteroid, the first to land on an asteroid and the first solar powered spacecraft to travel beyond the orbit of Planet Mars.
		The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft was originally known as NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) and was renamed by NASA on March 14, 2000 in honour of geologist Gene Shoemaker.
		NEAR mission was designed to swing the spacecraft around Earth for a gravity boost which allowed use of the smaller, more economical Delta rocket.
	www.aerospaceguide.net /spacecraft/near.html (986 words)

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		One of the primary objectives of the NEAR mission is to obtain global maps of the asteroid surface with respect to morphology, topography, mineralogy, and elemental composition.
		Asteroids can be remnants of the early solar system, when the accretion of the planets took place, or break-ups of smaller objects that once formed but were fragmented by collisions and/or impacts.
		The solar flux from 1 to 10 keV is a continuum that decreases with a power-law.
	ecf.hq.eso.org /~ralbrech/amico/intabs/bruecknerj.html (1421 words)

	Space Today Online - Solar System Asteroids - NEAR-Shoemaker - Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
		The lightweight spacecraft was sent to visit the asteroid Mathilda, an extremely dark object that reflects only 4 percent of the sunlight that hits it, and then rendezvous with 433 Eros, an asteroid tumbling in an odd orbit.
		As NEAR gathered momentum from Earth's gravity, it captured on film numerous captivating images of the planet, including a close-up of the Southern Hemisphere and a picture with the Earth and the Moon in the same frame.
		Asteroid 433 Eros is one of the largest near-Earth asteroids, with a mass thousands of times greater than similar asteroids.
	www.spacetoday.org /SolSys/Asteroids/NEAR.html (1627 words)

	Space Technology - Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (N.E.A.R) Probe
		Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (N.E.A.R) The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) was designed to study the near Earth asteroid Eros from close orbit over a period of a year, and was successfully launched in February 1996.
		Secondary objectives include studies of asteroid regolith properties (loosely consolidated surface material), interactions with the solar wind, possible current activity as indicated by dust or gas, and the asteroid spin state.
		NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft met all its scientific goals in orbiting the asteroid Eros, and successfully accomplished a controlled descent to the surface of the asteroid on 12 February 2001.
	www.space-technology.com /projects/near (669 words)

	Science News: Tryst in space: Craft, asteroid rendezvous - Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous probe observes Eros asteroid ...
		Astronomers have conflicting evidence on whether asteroids such as Eros, classified as S types, are the parent bodies of ordinary chondrites, the most common meteorites that fall to Earth.
		NEAR may not shed much light on such questions until later in the mission, when it zooms within a few kilometers of the asteroid's surface.
		The asteroid might have undergone melting and cooling that separated heavier minerals from lighter ones, perhaps when it was part of a larger chunk of rock.
	www.findarticles.com /p/articles/mi_m1200/is_8_157/ai_60115122 (653 words)

	Asteroids
		Asteroids are classified into a number of types according to their spectra (and hence their chemical composition) and albedo:
		Between the main concentrations of asteroids in the Main Belt are relatively empty regions known as the Kirkwood gaps.
		It is a particularly interesting asteroid in that it seems to have been differentiated into layers like the terrestrial planets.
	seds.lpl.arizona.edu /nineplanets/nineplanets/asteroids.html (1354 words)

	HQ Press Release H00-22
		The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission, a NASA Discovery Program being conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, is the first mission to orbit an asteroid.
		NEAR is less than 2,900 miles (4,700 kilometers) from Eros and is slowly closing in at about 18 mph relative to the asteroid.
		Its original rendezvous date of Jan. 10, 1999, was postponed when a firing of the spacecraft's bipropellant engine, designed to put the spacecraft on target for therendezvous, exceeded preset acceleration limits and caused the spacecraft to retreat into safe mode.
	www.gsfc.nasa.gov /ftp/pub/pao/releases/2000/h00-22.htm (791 words)

	New Science: NEAR Obiting Asteroid (03/03/00)
		Ever since the asteroid belt was discovered early in the 19th century, scientists have wondered if these tiny planet-like objects are the remains of a planet that never formed, or the fragments left behind by a planet that exploded.
		The asteroid belt is a broad area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
		The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission is the first launch in the Discovery Program, a NASA initiative for small planetary missions, with a maximum 3-year development cycle.
	liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov /News/2000/News-Eros.asp (758 words)

	NASA: Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Project
		The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission is the first of NASA's Discovery missions, a series of small-scale spacecraft designed to proceed from development to flight in under three years for a cost of less than $150 million.
		In addition to other studies, the ultimate goal of the mission is to rendezvous with and achieve orbit around the near Earth asteroid 433 Eros in January, 1999, and study the asteroid for approximately one year.
		As the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, the NEAR mission promises 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.
	www.washington.edu /doit/Lessons/Science/near.html (296 words)

	NEAR Successfully Launched (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
		Unlike the millions of Main Belt asteroids which orbit the sun in a vast ring between Mars and Jupiter, the Earth approachers are thought to be dead comets or fragments jarred from the Main Belt by asteroid collisions.
		NEAR may provide clues to long-standing scientific mysteries such as the nature of planetesimals, the origin of meteorites, and the relationship between asteroids, meteorites, and comets.
		NEAR's instrument package includes an X-ray/gamma ray spectrometer, near-infrared spectrograph, laser rangefinder, magnetometer, radio science experiment, and a multi-spectral imager fitted with a CCD imaging detector capable of photographing details on Eros' surface as small as 1 meter (3 feet).
	www.jhuapl.edu /newscenter/pressreleases/1998/960217.htm (781 words)

	Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Spacecraft
		Launched on February 17, 1996, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission is to be the first of NASA's Discovery missions, a series of small-scale spacecraft designed to proceed from development to flight in under three years for a cost of less than $150 million.
		The spacecraft will be equipped with an X-ray/gamma ray spectrometer, a near infrared imaging spectrograph, a multispectral camera fitted with a CCD imaging detector, a laser altimeter, and a magnetometer.
		The ultimate goal of the mission is to rendezvous with and achieve orbit around the near Earth asteroid 433 Eros in February, 1999, and study the asteroid for approximately one year.
	www.etsimo.uniovi.es /solar/cap/craft/near.htm (202 words)

	Aerospace Technology - Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (N.E.A.R) Shoemaker Spacecraft, USA
		The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) was designed to study the near Earth asteroid Eros from close orbit over a period of a year and was successfully launched in February 1996.
		The NEAR spacecraft design is mechanically simple and geared toward a short development and test time.
		Several innovative features of the NEAR design include the first use of an x-band solid-state power amplifier for an interplanetary mission, the first use of a hemispherical resonator gyroscope in space and extremely high-accuracy, high voltage power supply control.
	www.aerospace-technology.com /projects/near (670 words)

	New Science: A NEAR Landing on Eros (02/23/01)
		NEAR Shoemaker's historic soft landing on Eros has turned out to be a dream come true for the mission's managers.
		NEAR Shoemaker snapped 69 detailed pictures during its final three-mile (five kilometer) descent, the highest resolution images ever obtained of an asteroid.
		NEAR Orbiting Eros - A year ago NEAR made its rendezvous with the asteroid Eros, and became the first spacecraft to go into orbit around an asteroid.
	liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov /news/2001/news-NEAR.asp (1046 words)

	[No title]
		Asteroids represent a "Rosetta Stone" for scientists as they are widely believed to be leftovers from the formation of the solar system.
		NEAR will be launched by a relatively inexpensive Delta 2 rocket on February 16, 1996.
		NEAR is expected to provide a wealth of information on asteroids, including their role in the evolution of the solar system as well as their role in the development of life on Earth.
	www.seds.org /nodes/NODEv5n4-4.html (992 words)

	NCA's Near Earth Rendezvous Mission Watch (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
		(NEAR's launch was the Delta's first use for boosting a planetary mission.) Immediately after launch, NEAR successfully passed through the entire mission's dirtiest portion, avoiding damaging dirt and debris from the Delta launcher's shroud and other expended booster parts.
		NEAR is now outward bound from Earth, sailing towards the Asteroid Belt for its 1997 June Mathilde flyby.
		NEAR also is the first U.S. planetary mission managed by a non-NASA facility: The Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory.
	capitalastronomers.org /NEAR.htm (450 words)

	CNN - Technology - NEAR craft changes course for upcoming asteroid rendezvous - February 3, 2000
		The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous vehicle is now only about 5,000 miles (8,000 km) away from Eros, which it should reach as planned on February 14.
		NEAR's thrusters fired at noon EST for 90 seconds and eased the spacecraft from 43 mph to 18 mph relative to Eros.
		NEAR was launched in February 1996 as a joint project between NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
	archives.cnn.com /2000/TECH/space/02/03/near.rendezvous (449 words)

	NEAR Quicklook
		The NEAR mission is the first launch in NASA's Discovery Program, and will be the first spacecraft ever to orbit an asteroid.
		The primary scientific goals are to measure the asteroid's: (1) bulk properties (size, shape, volume, mass, gravity field, and spin state); (2) surface properties (elemental and mineral composition, geology, morphology, and texture); and (3) internal properties (mass distribution and magnetic field).
		NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR) - an altimeter that uses a solid-state pulsed laser to measure the distance between the spacecraft and the surface of the asteroid.
	leonardo.jpl.nasa.gov /msl/QuickLooks/nearQL.html (464 words)

	The Near Earth Asteroid Mission to 433 Eros
		In February, the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft will be on its way to reveal the geophysical and geochemical wonders of the asteroid, Eros (Figure 1), bearing the name of the god who fell in love with and secretly married Psyche against his mother's wishes.
		In order to further our understanding of the nature of asteroids and their role in the formation of the Solar System, the three-axis stabilized spacecraft, which is passively cooled and powered with fixed solar panels, will orbit the asteroid for a year after its three-year trajectory through the inner Solar System (Figure 3).
		With ground-based measurements from asteroids alone, whether these asteroids are chemically and mineralogically similar to the ordinary chondrites, and thus are their parent bodies, is a subject of debate among scientists.
	www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu /personnel/russell/papers/NEAR (1656 words)

	Science News: Plans change for NEAR visit to an asteroid - the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous may miss its connection ...
		Late on Dec. 20, during a time when NEAR was to fire its engine and head for Eros, the craft lost contact with Earth.
		NEAR scientists say they should have a rough estimate of the asteroid's density shortly after the craft begins orbiting Eros.
		Although the color and mineral composition of S asteroids are similar to those of ordinary chondrites, the match is not exact.
	www.findarticles.com /p/articles/mi_m1200/is_1_155/ai_57770153 (777 words)

	Spaceflight Now \| Breaking News \| NEAR gets close up look at Eros
		Since the NEAR spacecraft met up with and began its historic orbit of Eros on Feb. 14, NEAR team members at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD, which manages the mission for NASA, have pored over images and other early scientific returns.
		NEAR's Near-Infrared Spectrometer has picked up variations in the asteroid's mineral composition, possibly the proportions of pyroxene and olivine, iron-bearing minerals commonly found in meteorites.
		This picture was taken from NEAR on February 15, 2000, while the spacecraft was passing directly over the large gouge that creates Eros's characteristic peanut shape.
	spaceflightnow.com /news/0002/18near (1107 words)

	Eros or Bust -- NASA spacecraft approaches a near-Earth asteroid (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
		NEAR will use its instruments to scrutinize the potato-shaped space rock, which is about twice the size of Manhattan Island, for an entire year.
		In 1998 NASA's NEAR spacecraft captured this mosaic image of the Earth and Moon after it flew by Earth in a gravity assist maneuver that sent it hurtling toward asteroid Eros.
		Its original rendezvous date of Jan. 10, 1999, was postponed when a firing of the spacecraft's bipropellant engine, designed to put the spacecraft on target for the rendezvous, exceeded preset acceleration limits and caused the spacecraft to retreat into safe mode.
	spacescience.com /headlines/y2000/ast08feb_1.htm (1574 words)

	CNN.com - Sci-Tech - Space - Spacecraft makes improbable landing on asteroid - February 12, 2001
		NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) engineers should decide within hours after landing whether to command the resilient robot to fire up its thrusters for a return to space, mission director Robert Farquhar said.
		NEAR-Shoemaker began descending toward the asteroid in the morning, drifting toward its rocky companion and using its thrusters to brake several times after closing to within 3 miles (5 km) of Eros.
		The 21-mile-long (34-km) Eros belongs to a group of large asteroids with orbits relatively close to Earth, like the one that scientists speculate slammed into Earth and killed off the dinosaurs 67 million years ago.
	archives.cnn.com /2001/TECH/space/02/12/near.landing.02 (840 words)

	PERMANENT - Asteroids Near Earth - Probes (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
		For example, near Earth objects which are burnt out comets are thought to have a thin crust with rich quantities of volatiles under the surface.
		The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission was the first in NASA's Discovery program of "smaller, faster, cheaper" missions, formally started in 1994 under new NASA Administrator Dan Golden, though it reflected a fundamental change in NASA budgetary and programmatic philosophy under the George Bush Sr.
		When the asteroid encounter occurred, no good pictures were taken, partly due to the asteroid being darker than the worst-case scenario envisioned (surface high in carbon?), and then a software bug which caused the failure of the target tracking system and a "safe mode".
	www.permanent.com /a-probes.htm (6487 words)

	SPACE.com -- NEAR's Second Coming
		Lofted from Earth in February 1996, NEAR is the first NASA planetary mission to be carried out by a non-NASA space center.
		Although NEAR's main engine could be used to brake into Eros orbit, it has been decided not to use this large motor.
		NEAR is to circuit Eros for a year, zipping over the asteroid's surface in closer and closer flybys.
	www.space.com /scienceastronomy/solarsystem/near_probe_000110.html (1062 words)

	Near Earth Asteroid Rendevous (NEAR) - Shoemaker - Summary
		The Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft was launched on Feb. 17, 1996.
		The spacecraft made successful flybys of asteroid 243 Mathilde on June 27, 1997 and asteroid 433 Eros on December 23, 1998.
		The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft, was built and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md. As a tribute to Gene Shoemaker NASA renamed the NEAR spacecraft on March 14, 2000.
	www.spaceandtech.com /spacedata/logs/1996/1996-008a_near-shoemaker_sumpub.shtml (210 words)

	First Pictures from Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
		NEAR was launched from Cape Canaveral on February 17, 1996, and is the first spacecraft to operate beyond the orbit of Mars solely on solar power.
		The goal of the NEAR encounter is to allow a better understanding of asteroids and the Earth's formation, clarify relationships among asteroids, comets and meteorites, and to further understand the evolution of our solar system.
		NEAR is setting the stage for future asteroid exploration and will form a base of knowledge that will be the framework for future missions.
	mikulski.senate.gov /press/00/02/2000214910.html (377 words)

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