During its nearly decade-long mission. NASA's Dawn spacecraft will study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres.
celestial bodies believed to be among the oldest in the solar system.
The mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation.
On September 27. 2007. a Delta II-Heavy. the strongest rocket in the Delta II class. launched the Dawn spacecraft
on a 4-year flight to the asteroid belt from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
It took three stages and nine solid-fueled booster rockets to complete the task.
Scientists have constructed a video from images taken by the Hubble telescope that will help improve pointing
instructions for Dawn as it is placed in a polar orbit around Vesta.
This will aid Dawn with maximizing sunlight needed for imaging and mapping activities.