# NEAR Shoemaker

> 1996 robotic space probe that landed on asteroid 433 Eros in 2001

**Wikidata**: [Q217188](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q217188)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEAR_Shoemaker)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/near-shoemaker

## Summary
NEAR Shoemaker was a robotic space probe launched in 1996 to study the asteroid 433 Eros. It was the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid and the first to perform a controlled descent and landing on an asteroid's surface. The mission provided detailed data on the geology and composition of 433 Eros before concluding operations in 2001.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Unmanned robotic space probe (not an Earth-orbiting satellite).
*   **Launch Date:** February 17, 1996, at 20:43:27 UTC.
*   **Launch Vehicle:** Delta II (retired expendable launch system).
*   **Launch Site:** Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17.
*   **Target Destination:** Asteroid 433 Eros.
*   **Orbital Insertion:** Entered orbit around Eros on February 14, 2000.
*   **Landing Date:** February 12, 2001, at 20:01 UTC (soft landing).
*   **Mission End:** Loss of signal on February 28, 2001.
*   **Mass:** 800 kg (launch weight); 487 kg (dry weight).
*   **Power Output:** 1800 watts.
*   **Orbits Completed:** 230 orbits around 433 Eros.
*   **Scientific Instrument:** NEAR Multispectral Imager.
*   **Namesake:** Named after planetary scientist Eugene Merle Shoemaker.

## FAQs
### Q: What was the primary achievement of NEAR Shoemaker?
A: NEAR Shoemaker was the first spacecraft to successfully orbit and land on an asteroid (433 Eros). Originally designed only to orbit, it successfully completed a controlled descent and soft landing on the asteroid's surface in 2001.

### Q: When was NEAR Shoemaker launched and how long did it operate?
A: The probe launched on February 17, 1996, and communicated with Earth until the loss of signal on February 28, 2001.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch NEAR Shoemaker?
A: The probe was launched aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17.

## Why It Matters
NEAR Shoemaker represents a pivotal milestone in deep-space exploration and planetary science. As the first mission in NASA's Discovery Program to launch, it demonstrated the feasibility of sending smaller, more cost-effective robotic probes to study celestial bodies in deep space. Before this mission, asteroids were largely observed from great distances; NEAR Shoemaker provided the first intimate, long-term study of an asteroid's surface and internal structure.

By completing 230 orbits over the course of a year, the probe gathered unprecedented data on 433 Eros's topography and composition. Its most significant contribution to aerospace engineering was the successful "soft landing" maneuver on February 12, 2001. The spacecraft was not originally designed to land, but mission controllers successfully navigated a controlled descent at approximately 1.5 meters per second. This achievement proved that precision guidance could deliver a probe to a landing on a small, low-gravity body, setting the operational precedent for future asteroid sampling missions. The mission concluded two weeks after landing, marking a complete lifecycle from launch to surface operations.

## Notable For
*   **First Orbiter:** First spacecraft to orbit a near-Earth asteroid (433 Eros).
*   **First Lander:** First spacecraft to land on an asteroid (433 Eros).
*   **Extended Utility:** Successfully executed a landing maneuver despite being designed primarily as an orbiter.
*   **Scientific Legacy:** Provided high-resolution multispectral images of an asteroid surface via the NEAR Multispectral Imager.
*   **Naming Honor:** Named in honor of geologist and planetary scientist Eugene Merle Shoemaker.

## Body
### Mission Profile and Launch
Designated as a space probe—an unmanned robotic spacecraft designed to explore beyond Earth orbit—NEAR Shoemaker (COSPAR ID: 1996-008A) began its journey on February 17, 1996. It lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 aboard a Delta II rocket at 20:43:27. Weighing 800 kilograms at launch (487 kg dry), the probe carried a nominal power output of 1800 watts.

### Deep Space Operations
On its way to the asteroid belt, the probe performed a planetary flyby on June 27, 1997. It arrived at its primary destination, asteroid 433 Eros, and entered orbital activity on February 14, 2000. Over the next year, the spacecraft completed 230 orbits, utilizing its primary instrument, the NEAR Multispectral Imager, to map and analyze the asteroid.

### Landing and Conclusion
On February 12, 2001, NEAR Shoemaker executed a significant event: a soft landing on the surface of 433 Eros at 20:01. This maneuver marked the time of object orbit decay, transitioning the vehicle from an orbital probe to a surface lander. Contact with the probe was maintained until the loss of signal on February 28, 2001.

### Specifications and Identifiers
*   **Mass:** 800 kg (Launch); 487 kg (Dry).
*   **Power:** 1800 Watts.
*   **NAIF ID:** -93.
*   **NSSDCA ID:** 1996-008A.
*   **Mission Part:** NEAR mission.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. Jonathan's Space Report
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)
5. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
6. KBpedia