Delta launches Dawn on asteroid mission
Posted: Thu, Sep 27, 2007, 8:36 PM ET (0036 GMT)
A Delta 2 rocket launched NASA's Dawn spacecraft Thursday on a mission to two of the solar system's largest asteroids. The Delta 2 Heavy 7925H lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 7:34 am EDT (1134 GMT) Thursday, after a slight delay because of range issues. The Dawn spacecraft separated from the Delta 2's third stage 62 minutes after, after injecting the spacecraft onto an escape trajectory. After a Mars gravity assist in 2009, Dawn will arrive at the asteroid Vesta in September 2011, spending seven months there before departing for Ceres, arriving there in February 2015. The spacecraft will be the first to visit the two asteroids, and the first NASA mission to orbit two separate worlds beyond Earth in the solar system. Dawn carries a suite of scientific instruments and is propelled by an ion engine.
A Delta 2 rocket launched NASA's Dawn spacecraft Thursday on a mission to two of the solar system's largest asteroids. The Delta 2 Heavy 7925H lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 7:34 am EDT (1134 GMT) Thursday, after a slight delay because of range issues. The Dawn spacecraft separated from the Delta 2's third stage 62 minutes after, after injecting the spacecraft onto an escape trajectory. After a Mars gravity assist in 2009, Dawn will arrive at the asteroid Vesta in September 2011, spending seven months there before departing for Ceres, arriving there in February 2015. The spacecraft will be the first to visit the two asteroids, and the first NASA mission to orbit two separate worlds beyond Earth in the solar system. Dawn carries a suite of scientific instruments and is propelled by an ion engine.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 12
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Air and Space Forces Magazine — 12:42 am ET (0442 GMT) More hotels and roads? Here's how SpaceX could change the economy in Acadiana.
Acadiana (LA) Advocate — 12:39 am ET (0439 GMT) SpaceX to Get Weighting Boost in Nasdaq 100 After Rebalance
Bloomberg News — 12:38 am ET (0438 GMT) India needs to launch the space act it keeps scrubbing
The Times of India — 12:37 am ET (0437 GMT) Greek Astrophysicist Calls for European Space Autonomy
Greek City Times — 12:35 am ET (0435 GMT) |
