Nose-to-Nose with an Asteroid

The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft made history once again today when it
brushed over the “toe” end of Eros, less than two miles (2.74 kilometers)
from its surface, at 5:41 a.m. EST (ground receive time). The daring
pass-the closest any spacecraft has come to an asteroid-marked the
conclusion of a 4-day series of low-altitude flyovers that is returning
extraordinarily detailed images of the asteroid’s surface.

The low pass sequence ended this afternoon at 1:22 p.m. EST (ground
receive time), when a 3.8-second burst from the spacecraft’s 5-pound
thrusters pulled it away from its breathtaking vantage point, and back
toward an orbit 22 miles (35 kilometers) above the asteroid. There it will
remain circling Eros until a maneuver on Feb. 12 pulls the spacecraft out
of orbit and into position for its descent to the asteroid. Several more
engine burns will slow NEAR Shoemaker’s descent, allowing it to settle on
to the asteroid’s surface at about 3 p.m. EST.