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The space adventure > NEAR I

NEAR PROBE



Credit : NASA/John Hopkins University
View of the asteroid Mathilde by the NEAR probe


The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) probe was designed in order to go into orbit around the asteroid class S, Eros who regularly approach the Earth. It was launched February 17, 1996 by a Delta rocket-3. In June 1997, NEAR approached within 1200km of the asteroid class C, Mathilde.