NASA’s Dawn mission became the first spacecraft to orbit the dwarf planet Ceres, entering orbit in 2015.
Dawn launched on September 27, 2007, to study two major bodies in the asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. Its ion propulsion system allowed it to change orbit and visit both worlds, making Dawn the first spacecraft to orbit two extraterrestrial bodies beyond Earth.
Dawn reached Vesta in July 2011 and departed in September 2012. It then traveled to Ceres, entering orbit on March 6, 2015. Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt and was classified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
A common mix-up is confusing Dawn with New Horizons, which flew past Pluto, or Juno, which orbited Jupiter. Dawn did not land on Ceres; it operated in orbit until its mission ended in 2018.