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Science 22 September 2000:
Vol. 289. no. 5487, pp. 2085 - 2088
DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5487.2085
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Reports

Radio Science Results During the NEAR-Shoemaker Spacecraft Rendezvous with Eros

D. K. Yeomans,1* P. G. Antreasian,1 J.-P. Barriot,2 S. R. Chesley,1 D. W. Dunham,3 R. W. Farquhar,3 J. D. Giorgini,1 C. E. Helfrich,1 A. S. Konopliv,1 J. V. McAdams,3 J. K. Miller,1 W. M. Owen Jr.,1 D. J. Scheeres,5 P. C. Thomas,4 J. Veverka,4 B. G. Williams1

We determined the mass of asteroid 433 Eros, its lower order gravitational harmonics, and rotation state, using ground-based Doppler and range tracking of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR)-Shoemaker spacecraft and images of the asteroid's surface landmarks. The mass of Eros is (6.687 ± 0.003) × 1018 grams, which, coupled with our volume estimate, implies a bulk density of 2.67 ± 0.03 grams per cubic centimeter. The asteroid appears to have a uniform density distribution. The right ascension and declination of the rotation pole are 11.37 ± 0.05 and 17.22 ± 0.05 degrees, respectively, and at least over the short term, the rotation state of Eros is stable with no measurable free precession of the spin pole. Escape velocities on the surface vary from 3.1 to 17.2 meters per second. The dynamical environment of Eros suggests that it is covered with regolith and that one might expect material transport toward the deepest potential wells in the saddle and 5.5-kilometer crater regions.

1 Navigation and Mission Design Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
2 Department of Terrestrial and Planetary Geodesy, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse, France.
3 Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.
4 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
5 Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2140, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: donald.k.yeomans{at}jpl.nasa.gov

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Laser Altimetry of Small-Scale Features on 433 Eros from NEAR-Shoemaker.
A. F. Cheng, O. Barnouin-Jha, M. T. Zuber, J. Veverka, D. E. Smith, G. A. Neumann, M. Robinson, P. Thomas, J. B. Garvin, S. Murchie, et al. (2001)
Science 292, 488-491
   Abstract »    Full Text »
NEAR at Eros: Imaging and Spectral.
Veverka, Robinson, Thomas, Murchie, J. Bell III, Izenberg, Chapman, Harch, Bell, Carcich, et al. (2000)
Science 289, 2088-2097
   Abstract »    Full Text »
The Shape of 433 Eros from the NEAR-Shoemaker Laser.
M. Zuber, D. Smith, A. Cheng, J. Garvin, Aharonson, T. Cole, P. Dunn, Guo, F. Lemoine, G. Neumann, et al. (2000)
Science 289, 2097-2101
   Abstract »    Full Text »


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