Instrument Host Information
IDENTIFIER urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument_host:spacecraft.near::1.3
NAME The Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker Spacecraft
TYPE Spacecraft
DESCRIPTION The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft was a three-axis stabilized craft with a main body in the shape of an octagonal prism. Each side face measured about 1.7m. On one end, four solar panels were mounted on opposite edges of the octagon, resulting in a windmill pattern when the panels were deployed. The science instruments were mounted on the bottom of the spacecraft, opposite the solar panels. except for the magnetometer, which was on top. Electronics and propulsion were inside the body. A shield was provided for the gamma-ray spectrometer to dampen noise generated by the spacecraft. The spacecraft was lauched as "NEAR" but after successfully establishing an orbit around Eros, it was renamed "NEAR Shoemaker" in March 2000 to honor the memory of planetary geologist Eugene Shoemaker.
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REFERENCES Santo, A.G., S.C. Lee, and R.E. Gold, NEAR Spacecraft and Instrumentation, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 373-397, October-December 1995.