1. The spacecraft will be sending back a compressed, browse data set before the end of 2015.

2. Launched in 2009, the spacecraft completed its primary mission in 2012.

3. The spacecraft was sent to study the face of the planet and to model its interior.

4. He said he can hardly believe the spacecraft is finally about to get off the ground.

5. It was just one of numerous changes made to the spacecraft, as well as to procedures.

6. The spacecraft will use solar panels and a battery for power while on the moon.

7. It is already one of just three nations to have launched manned spacecraft on its own.

8. Until last year, it took a spacecraft two days to dock with the space station.

9. A huge team will work to make the spacecraft as safe as possible, he noted.

10. Solar panels have been essential to running spacecraft since the beginning of the space age.

11. It is the first time a spacecraft has ever visited a dwarf planet.

12. SpaceX does not publicly say how much the Dragon spacecraft is worth.

13. NASA learned from the mistakes, and spacecraft are now much safer than they were then.

14. The spacecraft are able to stay in orbit for months by using a solar array to generate power.

15. The spacecraft will continue transmitting data from the encounter for the next several days.