Eros was visited by the NEAR Shoemaker probe , which orbited it , taking many pictures of its surface , and , on February 12 2001 , at the end of its mission , landed on the asteroid 's surface using its maneuvering jets . Eros was visited by the NEAR Shoemaker probe , which orbited it , taking extensive photographs of its surface , and , on February 12 , 2001 , at the end of its mission , landed on the asteroid 's surface using its maneuvering jets .