Dawn
NASA's Dawn Discovery mission used ion propulsion to orbit and study both protoplanet Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, providing comparative evidence about the formation and evolution of rocky and icy planetary bodies.
Identity
- Aliases
- Dawn Mission
- Name
- Dawn
- Slug
- dawn
- Status
- completed
Details
- Description
- NASA's Dawn Discovery mission used ion propulsion to orbit and study both protoplanet Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, providing comparative evidence about the formation and evolution of rocky and icy planetary bodies.
- End Date
- 2018-11-01
- Launch Site Id
- qh7422164wy3ft5y6fa3dk60ah8afkef
- Outcome
- Success. Dawn became the first spacecraft to orbit an object in the main asteroid belt, the first to visit a dwarf planet, and the first to orbit two extraterrestrial destinations. It completed detailed surveys of Vesta and Ceres and operated through two extended missions until hydrazine depletion ended communications in Ceres orbit.
- Program
- Discovery Program
- Start Date
- 2007-09-27
- Vehicle Family Ids
- nd7g7w3by3wprt2t207cnfqq898aehapnd7wfg76pbnvb1cqdaksbvjhgs8aper5
- Vehicle Id
- nh7h628ajhp00hgbv712ezyc6x8aqcf8
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/dawn/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/17/2026, 12:13:44 AM
- Updated Time
- 7/17/2026, 12:14:47 AM
Other
- Affiliations
- Organization Id
- vh76vnx3yy1vy23j7zc3wk80wx7nhx5f
- Role
- Lead agency
- Organization Id
- vn72dqhfabtqra13r4mw1f0jzx8anqak
- Role
- Project management, systems engineering, navigation, and mission operations
- Organization Id
- vn7aymvae0r9jdsgtjybckkacd8aq4tm
- Role
- Principal investigator institution and science lead
- Organization Id
- jd77pyfbf0p3aeqq0h1bq1wza98apfhq
- Role
- Spacecraft design, fabrication, testing, and integration
- Organization Id
- vn7ae09zffhrgyhrc42spbd82d8aq3qj
- Role
- Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector developer
- Organization Id
- vh72atffz4qz4qmbtbrxs8q2vx7ngmwh
- Role
- Framing camera development and analysis partner
- Organization Id
- vn77v3xjfy0p7qa9z1k3ewsk3h8aqh0p
- Role
- Framing camera development lead
- Organization Id
- vh755p5pwthhjhazfk32mfg14s7nhj5r
- Role
- Visible and infrared mapping spectrometer partner
- Organization Id
- vn7ax89mrtsm5vs84s8dqsazen8aq186
- Role
- Visible and infrared mapping spectrometer developer
- Organization Id
- jd7a6bdc0br5qrv4d7pxcxmh2s8agcj7
- Role
- Launch vehicle provider