From the Contents: The Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres -- Vesta and Ceres: Crossing the History of the Solar System -- The Origin and Evolution of the Asteroid Belt—Implications for Vesta and Ceres -- Ceres: Its Origin, Evolution and Structure and Dawn’s Potential Contribution -- Origin, Internal Structure and Evolution of 4 Vesta -- The Surface Composition of Ceres -- Surface Composition of Vesta: Issues and Integrated Approach -- HED Meteorites and Their Relationship to the Geology of Vesta and the Dawn Mission -- The Dawn Spacecraft -- The Dawn Ion Propulsion System.

DAWN is the first mission to orbit a main belt asteroid and the first scientific mission to use ion propulsion.  Major objectives of this mission include mapping of the surfaces of 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres,  determining its topography from stereo measurements, determining its mineralogy, measuring its elemental composition and obtaining  gravity data.  This book describes the DAWN mission, its exploration and scientific objectives, the instruments that accomplish those objectives, the operations plan and the education and outreach plan.  It is directed to those studying asteroids and the evolution of the solar system.  This volume will be a valuable reference for anyone who uses data from the instruments of the DAWN mission. Previously published in Space Science Reviews, Vol. 163/1-4, 2011.