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Dawn Spacecraft System

The Orbital Sciences-built Dawn spacecraft used solar-electric ion propulsion to orbit both protoplanet Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres before ending operations in Ceres orbit in 2018.

Dawn Spacecraft System
NASA / NASA Kennedy Space Center · NASA-owned asset; the exact NASA Images API record KSC-07PD-0864 is byte-identical to this clean-room photograph of the Dawn spacecraft at Astrotech’s Payload Processing Facility, records NASA as photographer, and identifies NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as the center. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. NASA insignia and identifiers, third-party material, commercial, promotional, merchandise, or other protected-rights uses may require separate clearance; verify before such use. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Dawn ion-propelled spacecraft
Family Name
Dawn
Full Name
Dawn Spacecraft System
Roles
interplanetary_probeorbiter
Status
retired
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
The Orbital Sciences-built Dawn spacecraft used solar-electric ion propulsion to orbit both protoplanet Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres before ending operations in Ceres orbit in 2018.
First Flight Year
2,007
Last Flight Year
2,018
Manufacturer
Operator
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      3
      Placement
      spacecraft
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      spacecraft
      Variant Notes
      Three NSTAR xenon ion thrusters of the type flown on Deep Space 1; one active at a time, with one spare retained for mission life.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      spacecraft
      Propulsion System
      Role
      attitude-control
      Stage
      spacecraft
      Variant Notes
      Integrated Dawn reaction-control system; twelve 0.9-N hydrazine thrusters in two independent six-thruster strings. Exact individual thruster model is not identified.
    Name
    Dawn NSTAR electric-propulsion and hydrazine reaction-control configuration
    Notes
    NASA documents three NSTAR-type xenon ion thrusters on Dawn, with one operating at a time and one spare, plus a twelve-thruster 0.9-N hydrazine reaction-control system in two independent six-thruster strings for attitude control and reaction-wheel desaturation. The exact individual hydrazine thruster model is not identified in the canonical propulsion record.
Spacecraft Specs
Reusability
unknown

Links

Official Url
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/dawn/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 17, 2026 at 00:13:30 UTC
Updated Time
September 7, 2026 at 21:35:44 UTC
Image
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Dawn Spacecraft System - AeroVia