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United States Air ForceLaunch SuccessfulPlanetary ScienceDelta 7925-8
Launched 1996-02-17 20:43:27 UTCSpace Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Success
Reached Heliocentric N/A
Worldwide
9th
orbital launch attempt in 1996
United States Air Force
2nd
launch this year
Space Launch Complex 17B
2nd
launch from this pad this year
Pad turnaround
34 d 9 h
since the pad's previous launch
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.
Launch Provider
Government · United States of America · Founded 1947 · Commander-in-Chief President of the US
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Launches
1,078
Successful
972
90%
Upcoming
0
scheduled
Height
38.2m
Diameter
2.4m
Liftoff thrust
4,000kN
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