 It was launched on 27 September 2007 , as the space mission to make the first visits to both Vesta and Ceres . On 3 May 2011 , Dawn acquired its first targeting image 1 @.@ 2 million kilometers from Vesta . After orbiting Vesta for 13 months , Dawn used its ion engine to depart for Ceres , with gravitational capture occurring on 6 March 2015 at a separation of 61 @,@ 000 km , four months prior to the New Horizons flyby of Pluto . 
