This was the very last image taken by the NEAR spacecraft on February 12, 2001. It was taken from about 120 meters away from Eros. For reference, the rock at the top is about 4 meters across. The streaky lines at the bottom indicate loss of signal as the spacecraft touched down on the asteroid during transmission of this image.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA/JHUAPL (John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
NEAR - It Isn't Over Yet!
News story originally written on February 15, 2001
In an exciting moment in space history, the NEAR spacecraft became the first spacecraft to land on
an asteroid on February 12, 2001. A team at John Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory sent commands to NEAR that led it to a 4 mph touchdown on the surface of the asteroid
Eros.
There were concerns that once NEAR landed, the NEAR mission would be over (especially if it had crashed instead of landed!). The landing was so gentle and NEAR landed in such a good position to communicate with Earth, that the mission is being extended for up to 10 days. During this time, scientists hope to collect information about the surface and subsurface of asteroid Eros.
You might also be interested in:
It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,
...moreThe Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 2:19 p.m. EST, October 29th. The sky was clear and the weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit for the Unitied
...more A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon
...more Will Russia ever put the service module for the International Space Station in space? NASA officials are demanding an answer from the Russian government. The necessary service module is currently waiting
...moreDuring a period of about two days in early May, 1998, the ACE spacecraft was immersed in plasma associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). The SWICS instrument on ACE, which determines unambiguously
...moreJ.S. Maini of the Canadian Forest Service has referred to forests as the "heart and lungs of the world." Forests reduce soil erosion, maintain water quality, contribute to atmospheric humidity and cloud
...moreIn late April through mid-May 2002, all five naked-eye planets are visible simultaneously in the night sky! This is includes Mercury which is generally very hard to see because of its proximity to the
...more