NASA Dawn spacecraft will approach asteroid Vesta for a prolonged orbit. Engineers expect Dawn to be captured by Vesta's gravity and into a prolonged orbit at approximately 10 p.m. PDT Friday, reported NASA.

During the orbit, Dawn's distance from Vesta is expected to be approximately 9,900 miles.

This historic encounter marks the first time that a spacecraft will enter into a prolonged orbit around a celestial body. Previously, spacecrafts did only flyby missions for faraway celestial bodies.

Dawn is expected to ease next to Vesta to enter its orbit whereas previously fly-by spacecrafts used their propulsive burns to sling by them.

The Dawn sports futurist ion (electrically charged atom or molecule) thrusters, which uses less fuel and allows the spacecraft to embark on very long missions. After Vesta, the Dawn will ahead to Ceres (a nearby dwarf planet) in 2015.

Scientists are interested in studying Vesta because it's believed to be a remnant of an embryonic planet and may hold answers to how planets like the earth were formed.

We can't wait for Dawn to peel back the layers of time and reveal the early history of our solar system, said Christopher Russell, Dawn principal investigator, at UCLA.

Model of Vesta, using scientists039 best guess to date of what the surface of the protoplanet might look like.
Model of Vesta, using scientists' best guess to date of what the surface of the protoplanet might look like. NASA
NASAs Dawn spacecraft obtained this image on its approach to the protoplanet Vesta
NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image on its approach to the protoplanet Vesta. NASA
NASA039s Dawn spacecraft, illustrated in this artist039s concept, is propelled by ion engines. Image credit
NASA's Dawn spacecraft, illustrated in this artist's concept, is propelled by ion engines. Image credit: NASA
Artists concept of NASAs Dawn spacecraft. The giant asteroid Vesta, Dawns next destination, is on the lower left. The largest body in the asteroid belt and Dawns second destination, dwarf planet Ceres, is on the upper right.
Artist’s concept of NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. The giant asteroid Vesta, Dawn’s next destination, is on the lower left. The largest body in the asteroid belt and Dawn’s second destination, dwarf planet Ceres, is on the upper right. NASA
Ion thruster
Ion thruster NASA
Ion thruster
Ion thruster NASA
NASA039s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of the giant asteroid Vesta with its framing camera on July 9, 2011.
NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image of the giant asteroid Vesta with its framing camera on July 9, 2011. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/
NASA NASA NASA Asteroid