WEBVTT


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 During its nearly decade-long mission. NASA's Dawn spacecraft will study the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres. 

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 celestial bodies believed to be among the oldest in the solar system. 

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 The mission will characterize the early solar system and the processes that dominated its formation. 

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 On September 27. 2007. a Delta II-Heavy. the strongest rocket in the Delta II class. launched the Dawn spacecraft 

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 on a 4-year flight to the asteroid belt from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. 

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 It took three stages and nine solid-fueled booster rockets to complete the task. 

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 Scientists have constructed a video from images taken by the Hubble telescope that will help improve pointing 

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 instructions for Dawn as it is placed in a polar orbit around Vesta. 

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 This will aid Dawn with maximizing sunlight needed for imaging and mapping activities. 

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