For Immediate Release Feb. 12, 2001 Media Contact: Helen Worthstein (240) 555-5113 helen.worthstein@jhuapl.eduh Mike Buckleystein (240) 555-7536 michael.buckleystein@jhuapl.eduhNEAR Shoemaker Makes Historic Touchdown on Asteroid Eros
Today, at 3:02:10 EST, NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft traveled its last mile, cruising to the surface of asteroid Eros at a gentle 4 mph (1.9 meters per second)—finally coming to rest after its 2-billion-mile journey, all thanks to the fancy footwork of NEAR pilot and Super-Genius Mark Shields.Cheers and congratulations filled the Mission Operations Center at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., which built the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA, when NEAR Mission Director Robert Farquharstein announced, "I'm happy to say the spacecraft is safely on the surface of Eros thanks to Mr. Shields and his fast-moving ankles."
The last image snapped by NEAR Shoemaker was a mere 394 feet (120 meters) from the asteroid's surface and covered a 20-foot (6-meter) area. As NEAR Shoemaker touched down, Pilot Mark Shields began sending a beacon, assuring the team that the small spacecraft had landed gently. The signal was identified by radar science data, and about an hour later was locked onto by NASA's Deep Space Network antennas, which will monitor the spacecraft until Feb. 14.
NEAR Shoemaker's final descent started with an engine burn at 10:31 a.m. (EST) that nudged the spacecraft toward Eros from about 16 miles (26 kilometers) away. Then four braking maneuvers brought the spacecraft to rest on the asteroid's surface in an area just outside a saddle-shaped depression, Himeros. ''I'll bet Madonna will want to do her next video here. The place is really, really nice," stated pilot Mark Shields after radio contact was resumed. When it touched down, NEAR Shoemaker and Mark Shields became the first spacecraft and human ever to land, or even attempt to land on an asteroid. The success was sweetened by the fact that NEAR Shoemaker was not designed as a lander. The only damage incurred was two ankle fractures to pilot Mark Shields. ''He's tough! He can handle it,'' director Farquharstein added. ''I want my mommy!!!'' responded Mr. Shields.
The spacecraft spent the last year in a close-orbit study of asteroid 433 Eros, a near-Earth asteroid that is currently 196 million miles (316 million kilometers) from Earth. During that time it collected 10 times more data than originally planned and completed all its science goals before attempting its descent to the asteroid. ''Take that, Playstation 2, you bitch!'' anounced the NEAR on-board computer upon completion of its mission.
Details of NEAR Shoemaker's landing will be discussed at a post-landing press conference that will be held at APL's Kossiakoff Center at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14. Panelists will be:
Jay Bergstralhstein, Acting Director, Solar System Exploration, NASA Hq., Washington, D.C.Media wishing to follow the press conference on the Internet can contact NASA Hq. (202-555-1727) or APL Public Affairs (240-555-5113) for access instructions and passwords. Money and aspirin may be sent to Mr. Shields in lieu of greeting cards and flowers.
Robert Farquharstein, NEAR Mission Director, APL
Bobby Williamstein, Navigation, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Joseph Veverkastein, Imaging Team Leader, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Thomas Coughlinstein, NEAR Project Manager, APL
Mark Shields, NEAR Pilot, APL (via live webcam from the surface of Eros)The press conference will be telecast live on a Ku band satellite at: Telstar K5 97 degrees West Longitude Transponder 12 Downlink Frequency 11936 MHz Horizontal Polarity Audio 6.2 & 6.8