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(10302) 1989 ML

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Discovered by
  
E. F. Helin, J. Alu

Alternative names
  
MPO 244277, 1992 WA

Observation arc
  
9733 days (26.65 yr)

Inclination
  
4.37779°

Discovery site
  
Palomar Observatory

Discovery date
  
29 June 1989

Minor planet category
  
Amor NEO

Discovered
  
29 June 1989

Orbits
  
Sun

Asteroid group
  
Amor asteroid

Aphelion
  
1.44623 AU (216.353 Gm)

Discoverers
  
Jeff T. Alu, Eleanor F. Helin

Similar
  
4660 Nereus, Sun, Solar System, 4015 Wilson–Harrington, 1943 Anteros

(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 June 29, 1989.

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.

References

(10302) 1989 ML Wikipedia


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