What Does NEAR Stand For?

NEAR stands for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous

NEAR stands for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, a NASA space mission that focused on studying the asteroid Eros. Launched in 1996, NEAR was the first spacecraft to successfully orbit and land on an asteroid, providing valuable scientific data about its composition, structure, and surface characteristics. The mission enhanced our understanding of asteroids and contributed to advances in planetary science and exploration.