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This artist's concept shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft arriving at the dwarf planet Ceres, the most massive body in the asteroid belt. Dawn is the first mission to visit a dwarf planet -- a round body that orbits the sun but, unlike a planet, does not clear i

Ceres Seen From NASA's Dawn Spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

This image shows infrared views of two craters at the giant asteroid Vesta that NASA's Dawn mission has found to sport the mineral olivine. These craters, Bellicia (left) and Arruntia (right), are in the northern hemisphere, where Dawn scientists didn't e

Artist's impression of the Dawn spacecraft. Credit: NASA JPL / http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.gov

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This artist's concept shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft arriving at the dwarf planet Ceres, the most massive body in the asteroid belt. Dawn is the first mission to visit a dwarf planet -- a round body that orbits the sun but, unlike a planet, does not clear its orbital path of other objects. Image credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechNASA/JPL-Caltech

Ceres Seen From NASA's Dawn Spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDANASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA

This image shows infrared views of two craters on the giant asteroid Vesta that NASA's Dawn mission has found to sport the mineral olivine. These craters, Bellicia (left) and Arruntia (right), are in the northern hemisphere, where Dawn scientists didn't expect to find olivine. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAFNASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/ASI/INAF

Artist's impression of the Dawn spacecraft. Credit: NASA JPL / http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.govNASA JPL

Mission name: Dawn

Dawn

Dawn provided new information about the early Solar System and formation of rocky planets by visiting protoplanets in the Main Asteroid Belt.

Launch Date October 26, 2007
Arrival Date July 01, 2011
End DateNovember 01, 2018
Mission TypeFlyby
TargetVesta and Ceres

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Mission Overview
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft visited two of the Solar System’s largest protoplanets, Vesta and Ceres. Studying the data that Dawn collected on these objects will continue to yield new information about the early Solar System and the formation of rocky planets for years to come.

Relevance to Astrobiology
Vesta and Ceres are remnants of the early Solar System. Studying these objects can help astrobiologists understand how our System evolved to become the only known system to support an inhabited planet – the Earth.

Both Ceres and Vesta could harbor water ice, and the European Space Agency’s Herschel telescope has identified water vapor around Ceres. Studying materials like water ice on these rocky bodies can help astrobiologists understand the inventory of molecules that could have been delivered to the early Earth from space. This information is important in determining the potential role of such materials in the origins of life on our planet.

NASA Astrobiology Involvement
The Astrobiology Program supports researchers who are working with data from the Dawn mission.

Mission news and discoveries

This artist's concept shows NASA's Dawn spacecraft orbiting the giant asteroid Vesta. The depiction of Vesta is based on images obtained by Dawn's framing cameras. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Stony Meteorites and the Story of VestaFebruary 23, 2023

National Ocean Month: Astrobiology and Earth's OceansJune 08, 2022

Gravity Assist: The Bright Spot of the Asteroid Belt, with Britney SchmidtDecember 21, 2020

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Major mission findings

The angrite parent body was likely similar in size to the asteroid Vesta, which has been studied up close by NASA’s Dawn mission. Vesta is roughly 525 kilometers (326 miles) in diameter.

December 10, 2018Evidence for a Carbon-Rich Surface

Data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft indicate that Ceres’ surface is rich in organic matter, possibly containing a concentration of carbon that is several times higher than most carbon-rich, primitive meteorites found on Earth.

February 17, 2017Organic Compounds on Ceres

Data from Dawn was used to identify a complex organic compounds, amino acids and nucleobases on the dwarf planet Ceres. These molecules could have been important building blocks for life as we know it. (Sanctis et al. (2017) Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaj2305)

February 17, 2017Volcanos and Oceans on Ceres

The Dawn mission detected signs of a possible subsurface ocean and cryovolcanos on Ceres. Cryovolcanos spit out ice, water, methane and other gases instead of molten rock. (Sanctis et al. (2017) Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaj2305)

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Mission Facts

NextPrevious

Environmental testing of the NASA/GRC NEXT ion thruster.

Mission TargetsVesta

The Vesta phase of the Dawn mission lasted from May 3, 2011 to September 4, 2012.

Efficient PropulsionPowered by Ions

Dawn used ion propulsion, which accelerated onboard fuel to a velocity ten times that of chemical rockets.

Explore other missions

An artist's concept of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft orbiting the moon and preparing to fire its maneuvering thrusters to maintain a safe orbital altitude. Image credit: NASA Ames / Dana Berry

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Illustration of NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft.

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