En Route To An Asteroid

NASA is preparing for what will be the first mission to orbit an asteroid. It begins Wednesday with a flyby of the asteroid Eros, reports CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Thalia Assuras.

Researchers hope that the NEAR spacecraft (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) will get the first good close-up of an asteroid. They hope to determine Eros' size, shape, and whether it has any moons. They also hope to discover whether the asteroid is made of the material from which planets were assembled.

The NEAR mission was launched almost two years ago as part of NASA's Discovery space exploration program. The craft will take photographs of the asteroid Wednesday, although the actual orbit of the asteroid has been delayed until next year because of technical problems earlier in the week when scientists lost contact with NEAR for 27 hours.

During Wednesday's flyby, NEAR will take some 500 images from as close as 2,500 miles. NEAR will then travel in an orbit around the sun that nearly matches that of Eros' orbit. In May 2000, the spacecraft and Eros will meet, making it possible to insert NEAR into orbit around the asteroid.

If it succeeds in its yearlong orbit, NEAR is expected to land on the dusty surface of the asteroid. Scientists hope the findings will help them learn how to prevent dangerous asteroid collisions with Earth.

Reported By Jose Diaz-Balart