The first dedicated asteroid probe was NASA's NEAR Shoemaker, which photographed 253 Mathilde in 1997, before entering into orbit around 433 Eros, finally landing on its surface in 2001. It was the first spacecraft to successfully orbit and land on an asteroid. From September to November 2005, the Japanese Hayabusa probe studied 25143 Itokawa in detail and returned samples of its surface to Earth on 13 June 2010, the first asteroid sample-return mission. In 2007, NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft, which orbited 4 Vesta for a year, and observed the dwarf planet Ceres for three years.
The first dedicated asteroid probe was NASA's NEAR Shoemaker which photographed 253 Mathilde in 1997 before entering into orbit around 433 Eros finally landing on its surface in 2001 It was the first spacecraft to successfully orbit! and land on an asteroid From September to November 2005 the Japanese Hayabusa probe studied 25143 Itokawa in detail and returned samples of its surface to Earth on 13 June 2010 the first asteroid sample-return mission In 2007 NASA launched the Dawn spacecraft which orbited 4 Ves?ta for a year an?d observed the dwarf planet Ceres for three years