Padside

Delta 7925-8 | NEAR Shoemaker

United States Air Force · Delta II 7925-8 · Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

United States Air Force's 960th launch · 2nd this year · humanity's 4,050th orbital launch attempt

February 17, 1996Add to calendar
Success

The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).

Window: Feb 17, 20:43Feb 17, 20:43 UTC

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NEAR Shoemaker

NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) was a mission to rendezvous and orbit around an near earth asteroid (433 Eros). On the cruise to Eros, it flew by asteroid 253 Mathilde on 27 Jun 1997 and flew by earth on 23 January 1998. After failing to insert itself into Eros' orbit in January 1999, NEAR finally inserted itself into orbit around the asteroid on the second try on 14 February 2000. Initially in a 323 km × 370 km orbit, it lowered its altitude during observation. After reaching orbit, NEAR was renamed NEAR-Shoemaker.

Planetary Science · Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A)

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Pad — Space Launch Complex 17B

132 launches from this pad · 1,121 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Map of Space Launch Complex 17BOpen in maps