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List of missions to minor planets is a listing of spaceflight missions to minor planets, which are category of astronomical body that excludes planets, moons and comets, but orbit the Sun. Most missions to minor planets have been to asteroids or dwarf planets.

An artist's impression of New Horizons' close encounter with the Plutonian system

Spacecraft visits to minor planets have mostly been flybys, and have ranged from dedicated missions to incidental flybys and targets of opportunity for spacecraft that have already completed their missions. The first spacecraft to visit an asteroid was Pioneer 10, which flew past an unnamed asteroid on 2 August 1972; a distant incidental encounter while the probe was en route to Jupiter. The first dedicated mission was NEAR Shoemaker, which was launched in February 1996, and entered orbit around 433 Eros in February 2000, having first flown past 253 Mathilde. NEAR was also the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, surviving what was intended to be an impact with Eros at 20:01 on 12 February 2001 at the planned end of its mission. As a result of its unexpected survival, the spacecraft's mission was extended until 1 March to allow data to be collected from the surface.

Minor planets

There have been thity two overall missions towards minor planets, with four of them being flyby missions that were not intended to explore minor planets, marked in grey background. [1] [2]

Many minor planets are in two domains:

Mission Spacecraft Launch date Carrier rocket Operator Destination Mission type Outcome
– Pioneer 10 Pioneer 10 2 March 1972 Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D Star-37E United States NASA Unnamed asteroid [3] Flyby —
307 Nike Successful
Distant incidental flyby of an unknown asteriod and 307 Nike en route to Jupiter; flyby occurred on 2 August 1972 with closest approach of 8.85 million kilometers (5.5 million miles) and 8.8 million kilometers (5.4 million miles) respectively.
– Galileo project Galileo 18 October 1989 Space Shuttle Atlantis
STS-34 / IUS 		United States NASA 951 Gaspra Flyby Successful
243 Ida Successful
Incidental flybys en route to Jupiter; flyby of 951 Gaspra occurred on 29 October 1991 with closest approach of 1,604 kilometres (997 mi) at 22:37 UTC; discovered Dactyl; flyby of 243 Ida occurred on 28 August 1993 with closest approach of 2,410 kilometres (1,500 mi) at 16:51:59 UTC. [4]
1 DSPSE Clementine 25 January 1994 Titan II(23)G United States NASA 1620 Geographos Flyby Spacecraft failure
Attitude control failure; failed to leave geocentric orbit after first phase of mission exploring the Moon. Flyby had been planned for August 1994 [5]
2 Discovery 1 NEAR Shoemaker 17 February 1996 Delta II 7925 United States NASA 253 Mathilde Flyby Successful
433 Eros Orbiter Mostly successful
Closest approach 1,212 kilometres (753 mi) at 12:56 UTC on 27 June 1997. The orbiter aborted burn three days before arrival at Eros resulting in failure to enter orbit, instead flew past at 3,827 kilometres (2,378 mi) at 18:41:23 on 23 December 1998. Insertion reattempted successfully on 14 February 2000. Impacted asteroid at 20:01 on 12 February 2001 at end of mission, but survived impact and continued to operate on surface until 1 March. [6]
– Cassini-Huygens Cassini 15 October 1997 [1] Titan IV(401)B Centaur-T [7] United States NASA 2685 Masursky Flyby —
Distant incidental flyby en route to Saturn; closest approach 1.5 million kilometres (0.9 million miles) at 09:58 UTC on 23 January 2000 [8]
3 Deep Space 1 Deep Space 1 24 October 1998 Delta II 7326 United States NASA 4015 Wilson–Harrington [9] Flyby Spacecraft failure
9969 Braille Partial failure
Spacecraft was unable to reach the asteroid due to ion engine operation being suspended while a problem with the probe's star tracker was investigated. [10] Closest approach 28.3 kilometres (17.6 mi) at 04:46 UTC [10] on 29 July 1999. Intended to pass within 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) but this was not achieved due to a computer failure; poor-quality images returned as a result. [11] Flyby added to mission following loss of ability to reach Wilson–Harrington.
4 Discovery 4 Stardust 7 February 1999 Delta II 7426 United States NASA 5535 Annefrank [12] Flyby Successful
Closest approach of 3,079 kilometres (1,913 mi) at 04:50:20 UTC on 2 November 2002.
5 Hayabusa (formerly: MUSES-C) Hayabusa 9 May 2003 M-V Japan JAXA 25143 Itokawa Orbiter/Lander/Sample returner Successful
MINERVA Lander Failure
First asteroid sample return mission. Reached Itokawa on 12 September 2005, landed briefly on 19 and 25 November, collected samples, missed return window due to communications outage, finally returned to Earth on 13 June 2010. MINERVA deployable lander was deployed from Hayabusa on 12 November 2005 but was accidentally released while Hayabusa was moving away from Itokawa; reached escape velocity and drifted off into heliocentric orbit
6 Cornerstone 3 Rosetta 2 March 2004 Ariane 5G+ European Union ESA 2867 Šteins Flyby Successful
21 Lutetia Successful
Philae 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Lander Successful
Closest approach of Šteins at 800 kilometres (500 mi) on 5 September 2008. Closest approach of Lutetia at 3,162 kilometres (1,965 mi) on 10 July 2010. Rendezvous 6 August 2014, orbit on 10 September 2014

Philae (lander) landed on 12 November 2014, Rosetta itself landed on 30 September 2016.

7 Discovery 7 Deep Impact 12 January 2005 Delta II 7426 United States NASA (163249) 2002 GT Flyby Spacecraft failure
(Extended mission)
Extended mission ( EPOXI), flyby was expected in 2020, but communication with the spacecraft was lost in August 2013.
8 New Frontiers 1 New Horizons 19 January 2006 Atlas V 551 United States NASA 132524 APL Incidental flyby —
134340 Pluto and its five moons. Flyby Successful
486958 Arrokoth Successful
First probe to flyby Pluto and take detailed pictures of it. Closest approach of APL at 101,867 kilometres (63,297 mi) at 04:05 UTC on 13 June 2006. Flyby of Pluto occurred on 14 July 2015.
9 Discovery 9 Dawn 27 September 2007 Delta II 7925H United States NASA 4 Vesta Orbiter Successful
1 Ceres Successful
Orbited Vesta from 16 July 2011 to 5 September 2012, before departing for Ceres. Arrived to Ceres in 2015.
10 Chang'e-2 Chang'e-2 1 October 2010 Long March 3C China CNSA 4179 Toutatis Flyby Successful
Flyby on 13 December 2012, closest approach 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi).
11 Hayabusa2 Hayabusa-2 3 December 2014 H-IIA 202 Japan JAXA 162173 Ryugu Orbiter/Lander/Sample Returner Successful
DCAM-3 Orbiter Successful
SCI impactor Impactor Successful
HIBOU Lander Successful
OWL Successful
MINERVA II-2 Spacecraft failure
MASCOT Successful
PROCYON (185851) 2000 DP107 Flyby Spacecraft failure
Hayabusa-2 Arrived in 2018, landed in February and July 2019; sample returned to Earth on 5 December 2020 UTC. HIBOU and OWL were both deployed on 21 September 2018. MASCOT was deployed on 3 October 2018; operated for 17 hours. DCAM-3 and SCI Impactor were deployed on 5 April 2019; DCAM-3 observed SCI impact. MINERVA-II was deployed on 2 October 2019 and it had failed prior to deployment, but was deployed anyway to observe the effects of gravity on it as it descended to the surface. PROCYON flyby of 2000 DP had been planned for 2016; cancelled due to ion engine failure in heliocentric orbit. [13]
12 New Frontiers 3 OSIRIS-REx / OSIRIS-APEx [a] 8 September 2016 Atlas V 411 United States NASA 101955 Bennu Orbiter/Sample Returner Successful
99942 Apophis Orbiter/Regolith Disturber enroute
Successfully collected sample of Bennu on 20 October 2020 and ejected the sample capsule bound for Earth on 24 September 2023. Enroute to Apophis on 8 April 2029; part of extended mission as OSIRIS-APEx.
13 Discovery 13 Lucy 16 October 2021 Atlas V 401 United States NASA 152830 Dinkinesh Flyby Successful
52246 Donaldjohanson arrives on 20 April 2025
3548 Eurybates enroute
15094 Polymele enroute
11351 Leucus enroute
21900 Orus enroute
617 Patroclus enroute
Closest approach of Dinkinesh at 425 km (264 mi) at 16:54 UTC on 1 November 2023. Flyby of Donaldjohanson on 20 April 2025, Eurybates on 12 August 2027, Polymele on 15 September 2027, Leucus on 18 April 2028, Orus on 11 November 2028 and Patroclus on 2 March 2033.
14 SSE 1 DART 24 November 2021 Falcon 9 United States NASA Dimorphos Impactor Successful
LICIACube Italy ASI 65803 Didymos system Flyby Successful
DART impacted 23:14 UTC 26 September 2022. LICIACube flewby on Flyby on 26 September 2022.
– NEA Scout NEA Scout 16 November 2022 SLS Block 1 United States NASA GE 2020 Flyby Spacecraft failure
Spacecraft was to perform a series of lunar flybys before targeting asteroid in September 2023, but after launch contact was lost and later the mission was declared as a failure.
15 Discovery 14 Psyche 16 November 2022 Falcon Heavy United States NASA 16 Psyche Orbiter enroute
Arrives in August 2029. [14]

Major milestones

Legend

  Milestone achieved
  Milestone not achieved
† First to achieve

Asteroid belt
Country/Agency Flyby Orbit Impact Touchdown Lander Hopper Rover Sample return
United States United States Pioneer 10, (unnamed asteroid) 1972 † NEAR Shoemaker, (Eros) 2000 † NEAR Shoemaker, (Eros) 2001 † OSIRIS-REx, 2020 — — — OSIRIS-REx, 2023
Japan Japan — — SCI, (Ryugu) 2014 Hayabusa, (Itokawa) 2005 † — HIBOU and OWL, (Ryugu) 2018 † — Hayabusa, (Itokawa) 2010 †
ESA Rosetta, (Šteins) 2008 Rosetta, (Churyumov–Gerasimenko) 2014 — — Philae, (Churyumov–Gerasimenko) 2014 † — — —
China China Chang'e, (Toutatis) 2012 — — — — — — —
Italy Italy LICIACube, (Didymos system) 2022 — — — — — — —
Kuiper belt
Country/Agency Flyby Orbit
United States United States New Horizons, (Pluto) 2015 † —

Future missions

Mission Spacecraft Launch date Carrier rocket Operator Destination Mission type
Odin Brokkr-2 2024 Falcon 9 Block 5 United States AstroForge undisclosed Flyby
Expected to reach its M-type near-Earth target about nine months after launch. [15] [16] [17] [18]
Hera Hera October 2024 Ariane 6 European Union ESA 65803 Didymos Orbiter
Arrives in December 2026 according to current plans. [19]
Tianwen-2 Tianwen-2 May 2025 [20] Long March 3B China CNSA 469219 Kamoʻoalewa Orbiter/lander/Sample return
Planned arrival in 2026 [21] [22]
DESTINY+ DESTINY+ 2025 [23] Epsilon S Japan JAXA 3200 Phaethon Flyby
Planned arrival in 2029. [24]
MBR Explorer MBR Explorer March 2028 [25] TBD United Arab Emirates UAESA 10253 Westerwald Flyby
623 Chimaera
13294 Rockox
(88055) 2000 VA28
(23871) 1998 RC76
(59980) 1999 SG6
MBR Lander 269 Justitia Orbiter/lander
Planned arrival to Westerwald in February 2030, to Rockox in January 2031, to 2000 VA28 in July 2032 and landing on Justitia in October 2034.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The same spacecfraft used for Bennu mission will be used in studying Apophis. While the spacecraft remained same, only the mission was renamed as OSIRIS-APEx.

References

  1. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  2. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Interplanetary Probes". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  3. ^ "45 Years Ago, Pioneer 10 First to Explore Jupiter". It [pioneer 10] passed within 5.5 million miles of an unnamed 0.5-mile diameter asteroid on Aug. 2
  4. ^ "Solar System Exploration - Galileo". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Solar System Exploration - Clementine". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Solar System Exploration - NEAR Shoemaker". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  7. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Cassini". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Solar System Exploration - Cassini". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  9. ^ Wilson–Harrington is catalogued as both a comet and an asteroid
  10. ^ a b "Solar System Exploration - Deep Space 1". NASA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  11. ^ Rayman, Marc D.; Varghese, Philip (2001). "The Deep Space 1 Extended Mission" (PDF). Acta Astronautica. 48 (5–12): 693–705. Bibcode: 2001AcAau..48..693R. doi: 10.1016/s0094-5765(01)00044-3.
  12. ^ "STARDUST Successfully Images Asteroid Annefrank During Dress Rehearsal". NASA. 4 November 2002. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Due to ion engine failure, PROCYON will not fly by an asteroid".
  14. ^ "NASA Continues Psyche Asteroid Mission". JPL. NASA. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Asteroid mining startup to launch mission in early 2024". mining.com. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  16. ^ "AstroForge Conducts Hot Fire Test Ahead of Early 2024 Mission". payloadspace.com. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Astroforge's Brokkr-2 Spacecraft Aims to Commercialize Space Mining". ts2.space. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  18. ^ "This Asteroid Mining Startup Is Ready To Launch The First-Ever Commercial Deep Space Mission". forbes.com. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  19. ^ "ESA - Hera". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  20. ^ "天问二号已基本完成初样研制，预计2025年5月前后发射" [Tianwen-2 has basically completed the development of the first sample and is expected to be launched around May 2025]. Guancha. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  21. ^ Jones, Andrew (5 August 2020). "China is moving ahead with lunar south pole and near-Earth asteroid missions". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  22. ^ Jones, Andrew (30 June 2021). "China outlines space plans to 2025". SpaceNews. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  23. ^ Jones, Andrew (6 November 2023). "Japan's mission to bizarre asteroid Phaethon delayed to 2025". Space.com. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  24. ^ Sommer, M.; Krüger, H.; Srama, R.; Hirai, T.; Kobayashi, M.; Arai, T.; Sasaki, S.; Kimura, H.; Moragas-Klostermeyer, G.; Strub, P.; Lohse, A.-K. (21 September 2020). Destiny+ Dust Analyzer – Campaign & timeline preparation for interplanetary & interstellar dust observation during the 4-year transfer phase from Earth to Phaethon. Europlanet Science Congress 2020. Copernicus Publications. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  25. ^ Foust, Jeff (3 June 2023). "UAE outlines plans for asteroid mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
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