NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Enters Orbit Around Asteroid Vesta



Source:  NASA RELEASE: 11-231 

Excerpt: NASA's Dawn spacecraft on Saturday became the first probe ever to enter orbit around an object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dawn will study the asteroid, named Vesta, for a year before departing for a second destination, a dwarf planet named Ceres, in July 2012. Observations will provide unprecedented data to help scientists understand the earliest chapter of our solar system. The data also will help pave the way for future human space missions. For information about the Dawn mission, visit:www.nasa.gov/dawn

www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/jul/HQ_11-231_dawn.html

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