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Asteroid Landing

Engineers have landed a spacecraft on an asteroid -- the first time that's been done. he asteroid is Eros, 196 million miles away and a remnant of the early days of the solar system. The craft is called NEAR, and it was designed to take pictures and readings of the asteroid's surface. But now its primary job is done. NPR's David Kestenbaum joined the engineers as they tried to put the craft down as softly as possible on the spinning chunk of rock.

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