flown missionSuccess

Delta 7925-8 | NEAR Shoemaker

United States Air ForceSpace Launch Complex 17B — Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

mission

Name
NEAR Shoemaker
Type
Planetary Science
Target orbit
Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A)

NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) was a mission to rendezvous and orbit around an near earth asteroid (433 Eros). On the cruise to Eros, it flew by asteroid 253 Mathilde on 27 Jun 1997 and flew by earth on 23 January 1998. After failing to insert itself into Eros' orbit in January 1999, NEAR finally inserted itself into orbit around the asteroid on the second try on 14 February 2000. Initially in a 323 km × 370 km orbit, it lowered its altitude during observation. After reaching orbit, NEAR was renamed NEAR-Shoemaker.

schedule

NET (no earlier than)
Window opens
Window closes
Last updated

vehicle & provider

Rocket
Delta II 7925-8
Family
Delta
Variant
7925-8
Provider
United States Air Force
Type
Government
Country
USA

launch site

Pad
Space Launch Complex 17B
Location
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Country
USA
Timezone
America/New_York