(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.
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. F. Helin, J. Alu |
| Discovery date | 29 June 1989 |
| Designations | |
| MPO 244277, 1992 WA | |
| Amor NEO | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 24 October 2005 (JD 2453667.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 9733 days (26.65 yr) |
| Aphelion | 1.44623 AU (216.353 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 1.09872 AU (164.366 Gm) |
| 1.27247 AU (190.359 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.13655 |
| 1.44 yr (524.29 d) | |
Average orbital speed | 26.28 km/s |
| 125.941° | |
| 0° 41m 11.911s / day | |
| Inclination | 4.37779° |
| 104.409° | |
| 183.283° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.0827215 AU (12.37496 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 0.6 km |
| 19 h (0.79 d) | |
| X | |
| 19.3 | |
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]
- ^ “(10302) = 1989 ML = 1992 WA”. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
- ^ “10302 (1989 ML)”. JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
- ^ “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.
- Near-Earth asteroid Delta-v ranking, 1989 ML ranks fourth among the numbered asteroids
- (10302) 1989 ML at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- (10302) 1989 ML at ESA–space situational awareness
- (10302) 1989 ML at the JPL Small-Body Database
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