Probe Set to Enter Asteroid Eros’ Orbit on Valentine’s Day
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous probe is scheduled to enter orbit around the asteroid 433 Eros on Monday--fittingly, Valentine’s Day, since Eros is named for the Greek god of love. Launched four years ago from Florida, the craft originally was scheduled to orbit the asteroid last January, but controllers were forced to change plans when an engine misfired and the craft went into a “safe” mode.
Today, NEAR is about 2,200 miles from Eros and approaching it at about 18 mph. At 7:33 a.m. Monday, when NEAR is 207 miles from Eros, it will fire its engines to slow it enough to be captured by the asteroid’s weak gravity. Plans call for it to study, then eventually land on, the asteroid. Further information is available at: https://near.jhuapl.edu.
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--Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II
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