Which NASA mission became the first to orbit an asteroid?

NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.

NEAR Shoemaker entered orbit around the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros on February 14, 2000. The mission studied Eros’s shape, surface geology, composition, mass, and magnetic properties, providing a detailed look at a small rocky body.

The spacecraft was originally expected to fly past Eros, but mission controllers successfully attempted orbital insertion after an earlier maneuver was aborted. NEAR remained in orbit for about a year before making a controlled descent to the asteroid’s surface on February 12, 2001. Although it was not designed as a lander, it continued transmitting data after touchdown.

Dawn later orbited Vesta and Ceres, while OSIRIS-REx orbited Bennu before collecting a sample. Those missions were more advanced, but neither was the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid.