NASA Probe Nears Position for Year-Long Stay at Giant Asteroid

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Source:  NASA RELEASE: 11-197
Excerpt: NASA's Dawn spacecraft is on track to begin the first extended visit to a large asteroid. The mission expects to go into orbit around Vesta on July 16 and begin gathering science data in early August. Vesta resides in the main asteroid belt and is thought to be the source of a large number of meteorites that fall to Earth….The spacecraft will move into a high altitude mapping orbit, about 420 miles (680 kilometers) above the surface to systematically map the parts of Vesta's surface illuminated by the sun; collect stereo images to see topographic highs and lows; acquire higher resolution data to map rock types at the surface; and learn more about Vesta's thermal properties. Dawn then will move even closer, to a low-altitude mapping orbit approximately 120 miles (200 kilometers) above the surface. For more information about Dawn, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/dawn 

 www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/jun/HQ_11-197_Dawn_Nears_Vesta.html

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