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NASA Makes History Again; Spacecraft To Land on Asteroid - Page 2

© Pattie Stechschulte

-collected about 10 times more data than originally planned, and completed the most detailed scientific profile ever of a small celestial body; and
-collected over 160,000 images and 11 million laser return shots at the planet.

In the Final Hours
Next Monday, the spacecraft, which is low on fuel, will begin a four-hour descent from its current 22-mile orbit above Eros. The NEAR Shoemaker will approach the asteroid's surface pointed down, allowing the digital camera to keep taking photos until the very last moments.

The spacecraft was not designed to land, so it will actually crash on the surface from its descent at about 7 miles an hour. Scientists do not believe they will receive any further transmissions from the spacecraft once it is on the asteroid's surface.

What Does the Future Hold
The next few missions of the NEAR Program are:
-Genesis: It will analyze particles from the sun know as solar wind - launch date in February 2001.
-CONTOUR: It will provide images of and collect samples from two near-Earth comets - launch date in July 2002.
-MESSENGER: It will study Mercury - launch date spring 2004.
-Deep Impact: It will study the comet P/Tempel 1 - launch date January 2004.

NEAR patch

NEAR image

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