The document details NASA's Dawn mission, which explores the dwarf planet Ceres and the asteroid Vesta to understand the formation of terrestrial planets. It highlights Dawn's pioneering use of ion propulsion, enabling extended space travel and significant velocity changes. The mission marks the first time a spacecraft has orbited both an asteroid and a dwarf planet.

1. 1Astronauts and Robots: Partners in Space Science and ExplorationMay 13, 2015
DAWN
EXPLORING NEW WORLDS

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Dawn Explores Ceres and Vesta to
Discover What They Can Tell Us About
How the Terrestrial Planets Formed
Dawn is the 9th mission in NASA’s competed,
low-cost Discovery Program

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Dawn is the Only Mission to Orbit a
Main Belt Asteroid
Vesta
2011-2012

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Giant Impacts Delivered Pieces of
Vesta to Earth as Meteorites

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Dawn is the First Mission to Reach
a Dwarf Planet
Dawn began orbiting around Ceres on March 6, 2015
Ceres
2015-2016

6. 6Astronauts and Robots: Partners in Space Science and ExplorationMay 13, 2015
Dawn is Enabled by Ion Propulsion
Ion propulsion allows us to go places that would otherwise be
extremely expensive or impossible within NASA’s constraints

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Dawn records:
Longest powered flight:
5.3 years of operation
+
Largest propulsive velocity change:
10,800 m/s (24,000 mph)

8. 8Astronauts and Robots: Partners in Space Science and ExplorationMay 13, 2015
Dawn Contributes to the Effort…

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…. then to Vesta & Ceres

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2015 - 2016

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For More Information
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov http://solarsystem.nasa.gov

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