29 July

1999: On 29 July 1999, NASA's Deep Space 1 undertook the closest encounter with an asteroid ever attempted when it flew within 15 kilometres of the newly named asteroid Braille (formally known as 1992 KD). Infrared cameras collected spectra which confirmed that the small asteroid Braille was similar in chemical composition to Vesta, a rare type of asteroid and the third largest body in the main asteroid belt.