Dawn begins a 1.7 billion-mile trip

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dawn spacecraft was launched Thursday from Florida, beginning a 1.7-billion-mile journey.

A Delta 2 rocket lifted off from launch pad 17B at Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 7:34 a.m. fitted with nine extra solid-fuel boosters to start Dawn on its trip to the asteroid belt to investigate the giant rocky asteroid Vesta in 2011 and then the icy dwarf planet Ceres in 2015.

The two asteroid belt bodies are in orbit between Mars and Jupiter. By using the same set of instruments at both destinations, scientists will be able to more accurately formulate comparisons and contrasts, NASA said.

Dawn's science instrument suite will measure shape, surface topography, tectonic history, elemental and mineral composition, as well as seeking water-bearing minerals.

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