Then four braking maneuvers brought the spacecraft to rest on the asteroid's surface in an area just outside a saddle-shaped depression, Himeros. When it touched down, NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft 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. 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. 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.
Images are also available on the Web site.