NASA has confirmed that the fuel of the Dawn spacecraft has been exhausted. This is one of the most underestimated space missions in recent years.
Dawn was in the orbit of the planet Dwarf Ceresa, the largest object in the asteroid belt. However, astronomers' attempts to make contact with him during the last week have remained in vain. This means that the fuel of the spacecraft is most likely exhausted. Something that was basically expected to happen.
"He has repeatedly surpassed the expectations of scientists by sending a number of great photographs to his 11-year period," NASA said.
Dawn is a robotic spacecraft sent by NASA to a space trip to two of the most massive members of the asteroid belt - the Asteroid 4 Vesta and the Planet Dwarf Ceresra. The launch took place on September 27, 2007. Dawn enters orbit around 4 Vesta on July 16, 2011 and leaves on September 5, 2012, taking a course to Ceres, which is scheduled to reach 2015.
The device is designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is the first US research mission to use only an ionic motor. Several European partners - Germany, Italy and the Netherlands - also participated in the construction of some of the components of the apparatus. Dawn was the first spacecraft to explore 4 Vesta and Ceresra.