Galileo's Gaspra Flyby Made History on October 29, 1991
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passed asteroid 951 Gaspra during its journey to Jupiter, making the first spacecraft flyby of an asteroid.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech
On October 29, 1991, Galileo flew past asteroid 951 Gaspra while traveling toward Jupiter. The encounter marked the first time a spacecraft visited an asteroid.
Key details
- Galileo launched toward Jupiter in October 1989 and reached the planet in 1995.
- The spacecraft photographed Gaspra and used its Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer to examine the asteroid’s composition and physical characteristics.
- Gaspra has an irregular, elongated shape and a cratered surface.
Galileo became the first spacecraft to fly past an asteroid when it encountered 951 Gaspra.
Why it matters
The flyby gave scientists an early close look at an asteroid and added an asteroid encounter to Galileo’s journey toward Jupiter. The spacecraft’s images and instrument readings helped researchers examine Gaspra beyond what they could learn from observations at a distance.
What happens next
Galileo’s Gaspra encounter remains a milestone in robotic exploration of asteroids. Which solar system destination should a spacecraft visit next?
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