print email comment close Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission (NEAR) URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/near.html Description: Searchable information about the first space mission to rendezvous with an asteroid. It was launched in February 1996 and the last reception was February, 2001, in order to "answer fundamental questions about the nature and origin of near-Earth objects, such as the numerous asteroids and comets in the vicinity of Earth's orbit." Current status reports are available including trajectory/approach diagrams. There is also science and engineering data. Related resources are provided, as are images collected by the spacecraft. Library of Congress Subject Headings: Asteroids LII Database Information: Record 3632 created by Dana Lubow on 12/20/1999 Last modification on 02/24/2002 Published: 12/20/1999   Funding agency: California State Library LII Item ID: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/3632