NEAR Shoemaker

retired

Science ExplorationinterplanetaryCOSPAR 1996-008ALaunched 2/17/1996

Admin Edit

Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: NEAR
Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925-8
Launch Date: 2/17/1996
Last Contact: 2/28/2001

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: interplanetary
Altitude: -21,709 km
Inclination: 28.5 deg
Dry Mass: 468 kg
Total Mass: 805 kg

Payload Classification

Mission Type: Science Exploration
Payload Category: PLAN
Payload Class: C

Organizations

Operator: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Manufacturer: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

Registry

COSPAR ID: 1996-008A
UN Registration: ST/SG/SER.E/310

Track

Mentions

1

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

Chang’e 7 will aim to land near Shackleton crater at 123.4 degrees East and 88.8 degrees South, with backup sites near Shoemaker crater and Haworth crater.

PlanValue 4.6Apr 10, 2026Chang'e 7 Moon Mission Arrives in Wenchang for Launch No Earlier Than August