Maneuver history for the NEAR mission - Launch through Eros orbit insertion

Abstract

NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission, renamed NEAR Shoemaker in March 2000 to honor famed geologist and astronomer Eugene M. Shoemaker, is currently orbiting 433 Eros at nearly 50 kilometers from the asteroid's center. Built and operated by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft required 20 trajectory correction maneuvers to achieve Eros rendezvous and six orbit correction maneuvers to descend to the mission's prime science orbit. After describing maneuver options and primary spacecraft systems essential for each maneuver, this paper documents the design, purpose, and performance of NEAR's propulsive maneuvers from launch through Eros orbit insertion and early Eros orbit transfers. Focus on mission-enabling contributions from mission design, navigation, guidance and control, and propulsion is balanced with the role of science goals and operational considerations such as ensuring sufficient solar power. The spacecraft's operational environment and circumstances (first solar-powered operation beyond Mars orbit, first to orbit an asteroid, first planetary mission with full recovery from an aborted orbital rendezvous) have facilitated contributions to maneuver design and implementation that could prove useful for future planetary missions.