Dawn Journal

Man smiling with his arms crossed in front of a mission control panel
Dr. Marc Rayman in Mission Control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Dawn’s mission director and chief engineer, Dr. Marc Rayman, takes you inside this remarkable solar system adventure. He presents a highly entertaining and accessible description of Dawn’s mission, starting with testing the spacecraft on Earth, then launching it and continuing through the entire deep-space journey. Nontechnical and technical readers alike will appreciate the most comprehensive and lively account available anywhere of a real interplanetary mission, including not only what happens but also how engineers and scientists manage to accomplish such extraordinary feats.

Click the year below to read his blog entries and discover what is so fascinating and inspiring about a bold expedition into the unknown.

2018: The Journey Ends

  • Half disc view of Ceres

    Following a successful mission, Dawn mission operations concluded successfully on Oct. 31. (Please note the understated elegance of that sentence.)


  • Canyons in Occator Crater

    Today Dawn is celebrating its 11th anniversary of spaceflight. This is the last dawnniversary the spacecraft will see.


  • Cerealia Facula on Ceres

    People have been gazing in wonder and appreciation at the beauty of the night sky throughout the history of our species.


  • Vinalia Faculae on Ceres

    A fantastic story of adventure, exploration and discovery is reaching its denouement.


  • Closeup of part of Cerealia Facula on Ceres

    Dawn is going out on a high! Or maybe a low. Rapidly nearing the end of a unique decade-long interplanetary expedition, Dawn is taking phenomenal pictures of dwarf planet Ceres as it swoops closer to the ground than ever before.


  • Ceres craters

    Propelled by the perfect combination of xenon ions, hydrazine rocket propellant and adrenaline, Dawn is on the verge of its most ambitious exploits yet.


  • Hanami Planum

    For the first time in almost a year, the Dawn mission control room at JPL is aglow with blue.


  • Occator Crater

    A veteran explorer is leisurely orbiting the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system.

2017: New Plans for Ceres

  • Occator Crater

    Dawn has now logged 4 billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) on its unique deep-space adventure.


  • Two views of Ceres

    Dawn's long and productive expedition in deep space is about to enter a new phase.


  • Ceres

    A decade after leaving its first home in the solar system, Dawn is healthy and successful at its current residence.


  • Dawn observed this scene on Sept. 28, 2015

    Orbiting the only dwarf planet inside the orbit of Neptune, Dawn is healthy and continuing to carry out its assignments at Ceres with the masterful skill to be expected for such an experienced space explorer.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    On the other side of the solar system, invisible by virtue both of the blinding glare of the sun and by the vastness of the distance, Dawn is continuing its remarkable cosmic adventure.


  • Orbiting Ceres, a section of the wall of the crater at the top of the picture collapsed, allowing material to flow downhill into the larger Ghanan Crater, only a portion of which is shown.

    Dawn has accomplished an extraordinary orbital dance.


  • Yalode - the second largest crater on Ceres.

    Now in its third year of orbiting a distant dwarf planet, a spacecraft from Earth is as active as ever. Like a master artist, Dawn is working hard to add fine details to its stunning portrait of Ceres.


  • Ceres crater

    A sophisticated spaceship in orbit around an alien world has been firing its advanced ion engine to execute complex and elegant orbital acrobatics.


  • Ikapati Crater

    A deep-space robotic emissary from Earth is continuing to carry out its extraordinary mission at a distant dwarf planet.

2016: More Ceres adventures

  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn is concluding a remarkable year of exploring dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Occator Crater

    Blue rope lights adorn Dawn mission control at JPL, but not because the flight team is in the holiday spirit (although they are in the holiday spirit).


  • Dawn photographed this scene in Yalode Crater on June 15, 2016

    Dawn has just completed another outstandingly successful observation campaign at Ceres.


  • Simulated view of Ahuna Mons, Ceres

    Nine years ago today, Dawn set sail on an epic journey of discovery and adventure.


  • Ceres

    Dawn is actively continuing to add details to the intimate portrait it is creating of Ceres, a distant and exotic world.


  • Dawn trajectory illustration

    Humankind dispatched Dawn on an extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition in 2007.


  • Ezinu Crater

    Dawn is continuing to record the extraordinary sights on dwarf planet Ceres. The experienced explorer is closer to the alien world than the International Space Station is to Earth.


  • Haulani Crater in color

    Dear Glutdawnous Readers, The distant dwarf planet that Dawn is circling is full of mystery and yet growing ever more familiar.


  • Occator Crater

    Dear Resplendawnt Readers, Scientists are still working on refining their understanding of this striking region.


  • Sekhet Crater

    Dear Indawnbitably Successful Readers, A story of intense curiosity about the cosmos, passionate perseverance and bold ingenuity, a story more than two centuries in the making, has reached an extraordinary point.


  • Kupalo Crater from LAMO

    Dear Spellbindawngs, A veteran interplanetary traveler is writing the closing chapter in its long and storied expedition.

2015: Exploring Ceres

  • Zooming in on Ceres

    Dear Transcendawnts, Dawn is now performing the final act of its remarkable celestial choreography, held close in Ceres’ firm gravitational embrace.


  • Dawn's 4th Mapping Orbit (LAMO)

    Dear Superintendawnts and Assisdawnts, An intrepid interplanetary explorer is now powering its way down through the gravity field of a distant alien world.


  • Animated gif using images from NASA's Dawn mission showing the topography of the dwarf planet Ceres

    Dear Exuldawnt Readers, Dawn has completed another outstandingly successful campaign to acquire a wealth of pictures and other data in its exploration of dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft between its two science targets, Ceres (left) and Vesta (right). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Dear Dawnniversaries, eight years ago today, Dawn was gravitationally bound to a planet.


  • Map of Ceres with named craters

    Dear Unhesidawntingly Enthusiastic Readers, an ambitious explorer from Earth is gaining the best views ever of dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Dawn Survey Orbit Image 31 This image, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, shows dwarf planet Ceres from an altitude of 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers). The image, with a resolution of 1,400 feet (410 meters) per pixel, was taken on June 25, 2015.

    Dear Descendawnts, flying on a blue-green ray of xenon ions, Dawn is gracefully descending toward dwarf planet Ceres.


  • The brightest spots on Ceres.

    Dear Evidawnce-Based Readers, Dawn is continuing to unveil a Ceres of mysteries at the first dwarf planet discovered.


  • Animated gif of Ceres rotating

    Dear Emboldawned Readers, a bold adventurer from Earth is gracefully soaring over an exotic world of rock and ice far, far away.


  • Anaglyph of Ceres

    Let's get Dawn to business, Dear Readers, Dawn's assignment when it embarked on its extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition in 2007 can be described quite simply: explore the two most massive uncharted worlds in the inner solar system.


  • Image of dwarf planet Ceres from NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnticipating Explorers, now orbiting high over the night side of a dwarf planet far from Earth, Dawn arrived at its new permanent residence on March 6.


  • Animated gif of Ceres rotating as imaged by Dawn

    Dear Unprecedawnted Readers, since its discovery in 1801, Ceres has been known as a planet, then as an asteroid, and later as a dwarf planet.


  • Ceres Op Nav 3 animated gif

    Dear Fine and Dawndy Readers, the Dawn spacecraft is performing flawlessly as it conducts the first exploration of the first dwarf planet.


  • Animated Gif of Ceres

    Dear Abundawnt Readers, the dwarf planet Ceres is a giant mystery.

2014: Preparing for Ceres

  • Ceres as seen by NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Pardawn Me, Dear Readers, far away from Earthlings who look forward to a new year, Dawn looks forward to a new world.


  • Illustration showing a comparison of Dawn's trajectories

    Dear Unidawntified Flying Objects, flying silently and smoothly through the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Dawn emits a blue-green beam of high velocity xenon ions.


  • Artist's concept of Dawn traveling from the giant protoplanet Vesta (in a Dawn photo at lower right) to dwarf planet Ceres (upper left)

    Dear Dawnomalies, farther from Earth and from the sun than it has ever been, Dawn is on course and on schedule for its March 2015 arrival at Ceres, an enigmatic world of rock and ice.


  • Illustration of Dawn's journey to its target destinations

    Dear Dawnniversaries, on the seventh anniversary of embarking upon its extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition, the Dawn spacecraft is far from the planet where its journey began.


  • Illustration of Dawn's spiral transfer from HAMO to LAMO

    Dear Omnipodawnt Readers, Dawn draws ever closer to the mysterious Ceres, the largest body between the sun and Pluto not yet visited by a probe from Earth.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft and a TIE Fighter from 'Star Wars'

    Dear Studawnts and Teachers, patient and persistent, silent and alone, Dawn is continuing its extraordinary extraterrestrial expedition.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres

    Dear Mastodawns, deep in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, far from Earth, far from the sun, far now even from the giant protoplanet Vesta that it orbited for 14 months, Dawn flies with its sights set on dwarf planet Ceres


  • Survey orbit

    Dear Dawnosaurs, silently streaking through the main asteroid belt, emitting a blue-green beam of xenon ions, Dawn continues its ambitious interplanetary expedition.


  • Colleague Keri Bean's festive (and delicious) cake with some of the greetings used in the Dawn Journals.

    I have been captivated by space since I was four years old, and my enthusiasm has grown stronger and stronger ever since


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Compedawnt Readers, less than a year from its rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres, Dawn is continuing to make excellent progress on its ambitious interplanetary adventure.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Correspondawnts, powering its way through deep space, Dawn draws ever closer to dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at the protoplanet Ceres

    Dear Ardawnt Readers, continuing its daring mission to explore some of the last uncharted worlds in the inner solar system, Dawn remains on course and on schedule for its rendezvous with dwarf planet Ceres next year.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at the dwarf planet Ceres

    Dear Rendawnvous, Dawn is continuing its trek through the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    From Our Chief Engineer: I was delighted to be asked to name my top five accomplishments for the Dawn mission in 2013.

2013: Cruising through the solar system

  • Artist's concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft between the giant asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres

    Dear Clairvoydawnts, now more than halfway through its journey from protoplanet Vesta to dwarf planet Ceres, Dawn is continuing to use its advanced ion propulsion system to reshape its orbit around the sun.


  • Dawn spacecraft's orbits

    Dear Hand-Me-Dawns, gliding smoothly through the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Dawn continues to make good progress on its ambitious mission of exploration.


  • The Dawn spacecraft's orbits

    Dear All Hallows' Dawns, deep in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Dawn is continuing its smooth, silent flight toward dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnniversaries, on the sixth anniversary of leaving Earth to embark on a daring deep-space expedition, Dawn is very, very far from its erstwhile planetary residence.


  • The Dawn spacecraft's orbits

    Dear Antecedawnts, traveling confidently and alone, Dawn continues to make its way through the silent depths of the main asteroid belt.


  • The Dawn spacecraft's solar array wings

    Dear Megalodawniacs, powering its way through the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Dawn continues on course and on schedule for its 2015 appointment with dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Mosaic of Dawn's images of asteroid Vesta

    Dear Dawnamic Readers, the indefatigable Dawn spacecraft is continuing its extraordinary interplanetary flight on behalf of inquisitive creatures on distant Earth.


  • Mosaic of Dawn's images of asteroid Vesta

    Dear Confidawnts, traveling from one alien world to another, Dawn is reliably powering its way through the main asteroid belt with its ion propulsion system.


  • The Dawn spacecraft's orbits

    Dear Dawnscerning Readers, nearly three times as far from Earth as the sun is, the Dawn spacecraft is making very good progress on its ambitious trek from Vesta to Ceres.


  • Mosaic of Dawn's images of asteroid Vesta

    Dear Indawnstrious Readers, in the depths of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, far from Earth, far even from any human-made object, Dawn remains in silent pursuit of dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Mosaic of Dawn's images of asteroid Vesta

    Dear Impordawnt Readers, the indefatigable Dawn spacecraft is continuing to forge through the main asteroid belt, gently thrusting with its ion propulsion system.


  • Mosaic of Dawn's images of asteroid Vesta

    Dear Dawn't Look Backs, its long and daring interplanetary journey continuing smoothly, Dawn is making good progress in gradually reshaping its orbit around the sun.

2012: More exploration and leaving Vesta behind

  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn concludes 2012 almost 13,000 times farther from Vesta than it began the year.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres

    Dear Dawndroids, Dawn is continuing to gently and patiently change its orbit around the sun.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres

    Dear Indawnspensable Readers, Dawn is making good progress on the second segment of its cosmic travels.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnniversaries, on the fifth anniversary of the beginning of its ambitious interplanetary adventure, Dawn can look back with great satisfaction on its spectacular exploration of the giant protoplanet Vesta and forward with great eagerness to reaching dwarf planet Ceres.


  • The dwarf planet Ceres as imaged by the Keck Observatory

    Dear Marvestalous Readers, an interplanetary spaceship left Earth in 2007.


  • near-true color image of the remarkable snowman feature on asteroid Vesta's surface

    Dear Dawnpartures, Dawn has completed the final intensive phase of its extraordinary exploration of Vesta, and it has now begun its gradual departure.


  • Image of the giant asteroid Vesta taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Upside Dawn Readers, Dawn is now seeing Vesta in a new light. Once again the probe is diligently mapping the ancient protoplanet it has been orbiting for nearly a year.


  • Images of the giant asteroid Vesta taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft in 2011 and 2012

    Dear Readers of all Dawnominations, far from Earth, on the opposite side of the sun, deep in the asteroid belt, Dawn is gradually spiraling around the giant protoplanet Vesta.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft at asteroid Vesta

    Dear Dawnright Spectacular Readers, Dawn is wrapping up a spectacularly rewarding phase of its mission of exploration.


  • Layered young crater as imaged by NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnscoverers, on March 29, Vesta spent the 205th anniversary of its discovery by treating Dawn to more spectacular vistas, as it does so often these days.


  • Artist's concept of the Dawn spacecraft soaring over the giant asteroid Vesta

    Dear Ups and Dawns, Dawn is continuing its exploits at Vesta, performing detailed studies of the colossal asteroid from its low altitude mapping orbit (LAMO).


  • Image of asteroid Vesta taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from low altitude mapping orbit, or LAMO

    Dear Asdawnished Readers, Dawn is scrutinizing Vesta from its low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO), circling the rocky world five and a half times a day.

2011: Exploring Vesta

  • Image of asteroid Vesta taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from low altitude mapping orbit, or LAMO

    Dear Indawnstructibles, Dawn concludes 2011 more than 40 thousand times nearer to Vesta than it began the year.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Continuing its ambitious campaign of exploration deep in the asteroid belt, Dawn has spent most of the past month spiraling ever closer to Vesta.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn has completed another wonderfully successful phase of its exploration of Vesta, studying it in unprecedented detail during the past month.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn’s fourth anniversary of being in space is very different from its previous ones.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn has completed the first phase of its exploration of Vesta with tremendous success, and the peripatetic adventurer is now in powered flight again, on its way to a new location from which to scrutinize its subject.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn is now beginning intensive observations of the alien world it orbits.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn has arrived!!


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Vesta beckons, and Dawn responds.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn remains healthy and on course as it continues to approach Vesta.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn is on the threshold of a new world.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Three and a half years after launch, Dawn continues its travels around the sun, maneuvering to take the same orbital path as Vesta.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Deep in the asteroid belt, Dawn continues thrusting with its ion propulsion system.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn continues its flight through the asteroid belt, steadily heading toward its July rendezvous with Vesta, where it will take up residence for a year.

2010: Preparing for Vesta

  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn finishes 2010 much as it began the year, thrusting with its ion propulsion system in steady pursuit of a distant world.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn is maintaining its smooth and steady course through the solar system as it gradually closes in on Vesta.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Continuing its journey to collect treats in the main asteroid belt, Dawn is making excellent progress toward its July 2011 rendezvous with protoplanet Vesta.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    On the third anniversary of traveling through the solar system on its own since dispatching Dawn on a separate journey, Earth continues to orbit the sun in much the same way it has been.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn's journey ever-deeper into the asteroid belt continues to go well, as the spacecraft carries out its familiar routine of thrusting gently with its ion propulsion system.


  • Illustration of the Dawn spacecraft flying towards Ceres.

    Dawn is flying smoothly through the asteroid belt, now less than a year from entering orbit around Vesta, the first of its two cosmic destinations.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Daw9.0s, a new version of the Dawn spacecraft is continuing the ambitious journey through the asteroid belt to uncharted distant worlds.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    After more than 2.5 years of spaceflight, and more than 6 months in the asteroid belt, Dawn's interplanetary journey continues smoothly.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Adawnherents, Dawn remains on course and on schedule for its appointments with Vesta and Ceres, colossal protoplanets in the main asteroid belt.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnthorities, Dawn continues patiently forging through the asteroid belt, its permanent residence, as it climbs away from Earth and the Sun.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnthropoids, pushing ever farther into space, deeper into the asteroid belt, Dawn is continuing to progress smoothly on its solar system journey.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Plausible Dawniabilities, patiently and reliably continuing with its interplanetary voyage, Dawn is now flying in a new configuration and, from the perspective of those readers who may be on Earth, in a new direction.

2009: Going beyond Mars

  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnters and Sons, the Dawn mission continues to go smoothly, as Earth’s distant envoy carries out its interplanetary journey.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnticlimaxes, Dawn continues to make steady progress through the solar system as it maintains a gentle pressure on its orbit around the Sun.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawn-o’-lanterns, Dawn continues to make steady progress on its journey through the solar system.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnniversaries, Dawn is celebrating the second anniversary of leaving its home planet by engaging in the same function it has performed most of its time in space.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Indawnmitables, the Dawn mission remains on course as the spacecraft continues to thrust with its ion propulsion system, patiently, persistently, and gently changing its orbit to keep its appointment with protoplanet Vesta in two years.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Indawnfatigables, shhhh! Dawn is in “quiet cruise,” and we do not want to disturb it.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnterested Readers, having completed the longest planned coasting period of its entire mission, Dawn is now back to its familiar routine.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Astrodawns, Dawn’s mission continues to go very well, as the spacecraft nears the end of the longest coasting period of its astronomical journey.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawngrades, the upgraded Dawn spacecraft is now traveling in a new direction in its orbit around the Sun.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawntpanics, Dawn continues to coast quietly and calmly in its orbit around the Sun, keeping its main antenna pointed to faraway Earth.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnlight Saving Times, now boosted into a new solar orbit courtesy of Mars, Dawn continues its interplanetary journey.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Charles Dawnwins, Dawn continues to close in on Mars, ready for the gravitational slingshot that will help it on its expedition to the asteroid belt and its quest to gain insights into the evolution of the solar system.


  • Artist's concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawncers, Dawn continues on course for its pas de deux with Mars on February 17.

2008: Heading for Mars

  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawncember30ths, having fulfilled all of its assignments for 2008, the Dawn spacecraft has been unusually quiescent recently.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Indawnviduals, the Dawn spacecraft is healthy and on course for its flyby of Mars early next year.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Presidawntial Candidawnts, the Dawn spacecraft continues on course and on schedule for its bold campaign to unexplored worlds.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnniversaries, on the first anniversary of its departure from Earth, Dawn continues with what it has been doing for most of its time in space.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnivores, the Dawn spacecraft continues to make good progress on its adventure to unlock scientific secrets hidden deep in the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnminants, Dawn continues its flight through the solar system with all systems functioning well.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnlettantes, now using an ion thruster that had been powered off since October, Dawn continues to make steady progress on its journey deeper into space.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Pseudawnyms, the Dawn mission continues smoothly, as the spacecraft reliably thrusts with its ion propulsion system, demonstrating all the patience of a -- well, of an ion-propelled spacecraft!


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnocrats, Republidawns, and Indawnpendents, Dawn continues its powered flight, having accumulated more than 100 days of ion thrusting since its launch nearly 7 months ago.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Heliodawns, Dawn is as far from Earth as the Sun.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Phildawnthropists, treating intercalary days just as it does most other days in its interplanetary cruise, today Dawn continues patiently and ever-so-gently reshaping its orbit around the Sun with the delicate yet persistent push from its ion propulsion system.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnnoisseurs, now in interplanetary cruise, the Dawn spacecraft is following a much more leisurely pace than the one it maintained during the initial checkout phase of the mission.

2007: The journey begins

  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Aficidawnados, Dawn is climbing away from the Sun on a blue-green pillar of xenon ions as it begins a new chapter in its mission.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnocentrics, now more than halfway through its 80-day initial checkout phase, the Dawn spacecraft continues to please its fans in mission control and throughout much of the rest of the universe.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Extraordawnaries, Dawn’s checkout phase continues to go very well.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Xedawnions, joining an elite club among spacecraft, Dawn successfully fired up its xenon ion propulsion system on October 6.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

    Dear Dawnitsways, the Dawn project welcomes you to deep space! Dawn is operating smoothly on the fourth day of its 8-year adventure.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Countdawns, the countdown is underway for Dawn’s liftoff on September 26 at 7:25:00 am EDT.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawntastics, now less than two weeks from its planned September 26 launch, Dawn is eagerly awaiting the beginning of its fantastic adventure.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnbassadors, NASA is preparing (again) to bring Dawn to the Florida skies as all systems are gearing up for a September 26 launch.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawntothegrounds, there are two ways for a spacecraft to leave its launch pad.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnpours, just after the previous log was posted, further predictions of poor weather at Cape Canaveral and difficulties with a downrange launch vehicle tracking system required a launch postponement.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Countdawns, the countdown is underway for Dawn’s liftoff on July 8 at 4:04:49 pm EDT.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnventurers, now only two weeks away from its planned launch, Dawn is eagerly awaiting the beginning of its cosmic adventure.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawntelligentsia, the complex and intricate steps necessary for Dawn to reach space continue as its launch date grows near.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawngineers, Dawn has been greatly enjoying its stay in the Cape Canaveral area, literally the last place on Earth it will be.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnthecoasts, the Dawn spacecraft has completed its longest terrestrial journey on its path to asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    ear DawNRLs, the Dawn spacecraft has just completed the final and most challenging of the environmental tests needed to prepare for its launch and travels through space.

2006: Preparing the spacecraft

  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnewyears, the Dawn spacecraft has made its new year's resolution.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnvironments, the Dawn spacecraft is in space! Well, not quite, but it is getting a taste of the space environment, courtesy of the team preparing it for its mission.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawntellectuals, there is only about three quarters of a revolution remaining around the Sun before Dawn leaves Earth to travel on its own to distant worlds.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnthusiasts, Dawn continues to keep its human handlers very busy as preparations continue on schedule to meet the planned opening of the launch period on June 20, 2007.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnologists, Dawn is making good progress in preparing for its 2007 launch.


  • Artist concept of NASA's Dawn spacecraft

    Dear Dawnophile, coming in summer 2007 to a solar system near you (well, near most of you, anyway): the Dawn mission!

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