| 
A spectacular launch of the Dawn spacecraft into a beautiful Florida sky. Photo credit: NASA
|
NASA's Dawn spacecraft began its 1.7 billion
mile journey through the inner solar system to study a pair of
asteroids Thursday at 7:34 a.m. EDT.
The Delta 2 rocket, fitted with nine strap-on solid-fuel boosters,
safely climbed away from the Florida coastline and launch complex 17B
at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. "We have our time machine up
and flying, " said Dawn Principal Investigator Christopher Russell of
the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dawn is scheduled to begin its exploration of Vesta in 2011 and Ceres
in 2015. The two icons of the asteroid belt are located in orbit
between Mars and Jupiter and have been witness to so much of our
solar system's history.
By using the same set of instruments at two separate destinations,
scientists can more accurately formulate comparisons and contrasts.
Dawn's science instrument suite will measure shape, surface
topography and tectonic history, elemental and mineral composition as
well as seek out water-bearing minerals.
A critical milestone for the spacecraft comes in is acquiring its
signal. The launch team expects that to occur in approximately 2-3
hours.
For the latest information about Dawn and its mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/dawn
|
21 Jul 2008 at 11:04pm
![]() When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions - When We Left Earth: The ...
TVShowsOnDVD.com, Canada - Jul 21, 2008
Since the dawn of mankind, we have stared up at the lights in the sky and wondered...Now join the heroic men and women who have dared the impossible on some ... |
Read more...
17 Jul 2008 at 11:36am Today is Thursday, July 17th, the 199th day of 2008. There are 167 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 17th, 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747 ... Read more...
16 Jul 2008 at 9:10pm
![]() Today in History - July 17
The Associated Press - Jul 16, 2008
In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower linkup of its kind. In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair ... |
Read more...
15 Jul 2008 at 3:46pm
![]() Ceres may be an asteroid impersonator
Science News - Jul 15, 2008
Additional information on Ceres? composition, to be gathered by NASA?s Dawn spacecraft when it visits Ceres in 2015, could clarify the body?s origin. ... |
Read more...
6 Jul 2008 at 5:36pm
![]() The Ions Of Dawn Keep Powering On
Space Daily, CA - Jul 6, 2008
The 3 ion thrusters point in different directions on the spacecraft. To provide thrust in the correct direction in space, Dawn has to rotate to aim the ... |
Read more...
3 Jul 2008 at 1:36pm
![]() Full Text
Science Magazine (subscription) - Jul 3, 2008
However, the angle relative to the Sun-Mercury line required to reach the ±3 R M limit increased monotonically as the spacecraft approached the planet (Fig. ...
Full Text Science Magazine (subscription)
all 19 news articles |
Read more...
27 Jun 2008 at 1:43am
![]() Tiny satellite will keep tabs on asteroids
Toronto Star, Canada - Jun 27, 2008
JOHN RAOUX/AP Spectators at Jetty Park pier watch as a Delta II rocket with the Dawn spacecraft aboard, lifts off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ... |
Read more...
|
![](http://www.nightskyobserver.com/bitmap/speaker_icon_white.gif"){kind=icon}
![](http://www.nightskyobserver.com/bitmap/video_icon_black.gif"){kind=icon}
