(10302)_1989_ML

(10302) 1989 ML

(10302) 1989 ML

Near-Earth asteroid

(10302) 1989 ML is an as yet unnamed near-Earth asteroid. It is approximately 0.6 km in diameter. An Amor asteroid, it orbits between Earth and Mars. It is an X-type asteroid, so its surface composition is yet unknown. It was discovered by Eleanor F. Helin and Jeff T. Alu at Palomar Observatory on 29 June 1989.

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Targeting by spacecraft

The delta-v ('effort') required to reach 1989 ML from a low-Earth orbit is only 4.8 km/s, ranking fifth (as of March 2007) amongst the near-Earth asteroids with well-established orbits. 1989 ML is thus particularly 'easy' (and 'cheap') to reach by spacecraft.

1989 ML was considered as a target of the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa (then Muses-C) but had to be given up due to technical reasons. It was also considered by the European Space Agency as a candidate target for the Don Quijote mission to study the effects of impacting a spacecraft into an asteroid; however, they too changed to other targets.[3]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "(10302) = 1989 ML = 1992 WA". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  2. [2]
    "10302 (1989 ML)". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  3. [3]
    "Sancho Study: Designing the Minimum Earth Escape Spacecraft". European Space Agency. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2009.


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