The NASA spacecraft first explored asteroids

On July 16, NASA's Dawn (Dawn) spacecraft arrived in Vesta, a 330-mile (531km) asteroid with an gravity equal to 0.022 times that of Earth's gravity. This is the first space probe to fly around a large asteroid in the solar system's asteroid belt.

>>> Images of two asteroids Ceres and Vesta sent by Hubble

While flying around the asteroid Vesta, the 2,800-pound weighed Dawn probe will conduct a study of this large rock for a year, taking photos and collecting data with two extremely high-resolution, one-optical cameras. image and infrared spectrometer, as well as a gamma ray detector and neutron.

Vesta asteroid (Photo: Nasa)

With these modern devices, NASA hopes to be able to understand the origin and initial states of the solar system. The study will also help determine why Vesta is the brightest asteroid in the solar system.

In a statement, NASA Director Charles Bolden said: " Dawn's study of Vesta asteroid marks a great scientific achievement and also points to future destinations where people will come in. In the coming years, President Obama directed NASA to bring astronauts on an asteroid in 2025 and Dawn is collecting important data to provide information about that mission . "

According to Space.com , the next year, the Dawn probe will continue the ship's "voyage" with the next destination Ceres, a larger spherical asteroid and bearing a name. another is dwarf planet.

Binh Minh ship is expected to approach this second target in 2015.