List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft

The following tables list all minor planets and comets that have been visited by robotic spacecraft.

The comparative sizes of the first eight asteroids that were visited by spacecraft
Number of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft


List of minor planets visited by spacecraft

Since the 1990s, a total of 16 minor planets – various asteroids, dwarf planets, and Kuiper belt objects – have been visited by space probes. Note that moons (not directly orbiting the Sun), comets and planets are not minor planets and thus are not included in the table below.

In addition to the listed objects, four asteroids have been imaged by spacecraft at distances too large to resolve features (over 100,000 km), and are labeled as such.

Minor planet Space probe
Name Image Dimensions
(km) (a)		 Discovery
year		 Name Closest approach Remarks
year in km in radii (b)
1 Ceres
952 1801 Dawn 2015–2018 35 0.07 First "close up" picture of Ceres taken in December 2014; probe entered orbit in March 2015; first dwarf planet visited by a spacecraft, largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft.
4 Vesta 529 1807 Dawn 2011–2012 200
approx.
 0.76 Space probe broke orbit on 5 September 2012 and headed to Ceres; first "big four" asteroid visited by a spacecraft, largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft at the time.
21 Lutetia
120 × 100 × 75
(100 km)		 1852 Rosetta 2010 3,162 64.9 Flyby on 10 July 2010; largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft at the time.
243 Ida
56 × 24 × 21
(28 km)		 1884 Galileo 1993 2,390 152 Flyby; discovered Dactyl; first asteroid with a moon visited by a spacecraft, largest asteroid visited by spacecraft at the time.
253 Mathilde
66 × 48 × 46
(58 km)		 1885 NEAR Shoemaker 1997 1,212 49.5 Flyby; largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft at the time.
307 Nike 54.96 1891 Pioneer 10 1972 8,800,000 320,232 Distant incidental flyby.
433 Eros
34 × 11 × 11
(17 km)		 1898 NEAR Shoemaker 1998–2001 landed landed 1998 flyby; 2000 orbited (first asteroid studied from orbit); 2001 landing; first asteroid landing, first asteroid orbited by a spacecraft, first near-Earth asteroid (NEA) visited by a spacecraft.
951 Gaspra
18.2 × 10.5 × 8.9
(12.2 km)		 1916 Galileo 1991 1,600 262 Flyby; first asteroid visited by a spacecraft.
2685 Masursky
10.744 1981 Cassini–Huygens 2000 1,600,000 297840 Distant incidental flyby.
2867 Šteins
4.6 1969 Rosetta 2008 800 302 Flyby; first asteroid visited by the ESA.
4179 Toutatis
2.45 1934 Chang'e 2 2012 3.2 0.70 Flyby;[1] closest asteroid flyby, first asteroid visited by a Chinese probe.
5535 Annefrank
4.0 1942 Stardust 2002 3,079 1230 Flyby
9969 Braille
2.2 × 0.6
(1.6 km)		 1992 Deep Space 1 1999 26 12.7 Flyby; followed by flyby of Comet Borrelly; failed to image it during closest approach, only taking images 14,000 km from the asteroid.
25143 Itokawa
0.5 × 0.3 × 0.2
(350 meters)		 1998 Hayabusa 2005 landed landed Landed; returned dust samples to Earth in 2010 - first sample return mission from asteroid; smallest asteroid visited by a spacecraft, first asteroid visited by a non-NASA spacecraft.
101955 Bennu
0.490 1999 OSIRIS-REx 2020 landed[2] landed Arrived on 3 December 2018; entered lowest orbit on 12 June 2019; smallest object to be orbited by spacecraft and closest ever orbit;[3][4] touchdown on 20 October 2020 to collect sample.
132524 APL
2.5 2002 New Horizons 2006 101,867 81493 Distant incidental flyby.
134340 Pluto
2,376 1930 New Horizons 2015 12,500 10.5 Flyby; first trans-Neptunian object visited, most distant object visited by a spacecraft (at the time of the visit).
162173 Ryugu
0.865 1999 Hayabusa2 2019 landed landed Rendezvoused with asteroid from June 2018 to November 2019. Successful touchdowns to collect a sample in February and July 2019. Returned dust samples to Earth in December 2020.[5] Three landers and an explosive impactor successfully deployed to the surface.[6] Returned dust samples to Earth in December 2020.[7]
486958 Arrokoth
36 × 18 × 10 2014 New Horizons 2019 3,500 350 Flew by Arrokoth (nicknamed Ultima Thule) on 1 January 2019, currently farthest object to be visited by a spacecraft.
Unnamed asteroid[8] .8 Pioneer 10 1972 8,851,392 22,128,480 Distant incidental flyby.
Notes:
a A minor planet's dimensions may be described by x, y, and z axes instead of an (average) diameter due to its non-spherical, irregular shape.
b Closest approach given in multiples of the minor planet's mean radius
 · Default order of list: by the minor planet's designation, ascending.

List of comets visited by spacecraft
Comet Space probe
Name Image Dimensions
(km) (a)		 Discovery
year		 Name Closest approach Remarks
year in km in radii (b)
Giacobini–Zinner
2 1900 ICE 1985 7,800 7,800 first flyby of comet
Halley
15×9 Known
since
1759

(Precovered to 240 BCE) 		Vega 1 1986 8,889 1,620 flyby
Vega 2 1986 8,030 1,460 flyby
Suisei 1986 151,000 27,450 distant flyby
Sakigake 1986 6,990,000 1,270,747 distant flyby
Giotto 1986 596 108 flyby; first direct images of a comet nucleus
ICE 1986 31,000,000 5,647,000 distant flyby
Grigg–Skjellerup
2.6 1902 Giotto 1992 200 154 flyby
Borrelly
8×4×4 1904 Deep Space 1 2001 2,171 814 flyby; closest approach in September 2001 when probe entered the comet's coma[9]
Wild 2
5.5×4.0×3.3 1978 Stardust 2004 240 113 flyby; first sample return mission from comet to Earth (2006)
Tempel 1
7.6×4.9 1867 Deep Impact 2005 500 80 flyby; delivered an impactor
Deep Impact's impactor vehicle 2005 0 0 first landing on a comet (blasted a crater)
Stardust 2011 181 57.9 flyby; imaged the crater created by Deep Impact
Hartley 2
1.4 1986 EPOXI
(was Deep Impact)		 2010 700 1,000 flyby; smallest comet visited
Churyumov–Gerasimenko
4.1×3.3×1.8 1969 Rosetta 2016 0 0 first orbiter of comet (November 2014); impacted surface as of 2016; OSIRIS captured image with 11 cm/px-resolution in Spring 2015[10]
Philae
(Rosetta's lander)		 2014 0 0 first soft landing on a comet (November 2014)
Notes:
(a) Due to a non-spherical, irregular shape, a comet's x, y, and z axes instead of an (average) diameter are often used to describe its dimensions.
(b) Closest approach given in multiples of the comet's (average mean) radius
 ·  List ordered in descending order by a comet's first visit

Spacecraft visited by comets

Comet C/2013 A1 passed close by planet Mars in October 2014, closer than the Moon is to Earth.[11] As of early 2014 it was calculated to pass as close as 0.00087 AU (130,000 km; 81,000 mi).[11] This was so close that the event was deemed dangerous to spacecraft in orbit around Mars.[12] Spacecraft that were active at that time included 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, MAVEN, Mars Orbiter Mission, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in Mars orbit – and two on the surface – Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity.

Planned visits

List of minor planets targeted for spacecraft visitation

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is scheduled to tour several Jupiter trojans and one main-belt asteroid between 2025 and 2033.[13]

The following table lists minor planets that are planned to be visited by spacecraft.

NameDiameter(a)
(km)		Year of
discovery		SpacecraftAgencyYear of
visit		Notes
469219 Kamoʻoalewa0.0412016ZhengHeCNSA2024co-orbital near-Earth asteroid sample return.[14]
133P/Elst–Pizarro3.81979ZhengHeCNSA2032main-belt comets orbiting.[15]
16 Psyche1861852PsycheNASA2026Future planned orbiting.[16]
617 Patroclus1411906LucyNASA2033Binary Jupiter trojan, Trojan camp, 5th-largest Jupiter trojan[13]
3200 Phaethon51983DESTINY+JAXA2026Rock comet and parent body of Geminids meteor shower[17]
3548 Eurybates721973LucyNASA2027Jupiter trojan with satellite, Greek camp[13]
11351 Leucus421997LucyNASA2028Jupiter trojan, Greek camp, a slow rotator[13]
15094 Polymele211999LucyNASA2027Jupiter trojan, Greek camp[13]
21900 Orus531999LucyNASA2028Jupiter trojan, Greek camp[13]
(35107) 1991 VH1.041991JanusNASA2026Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; secondary payload of the Psyche launch[18]
52246 Donaldjohanson3.91981LucyNASA2025main belt asteroid and member of the Erigone family[19]
65803 Didymos0.81996DART / LICIANASA/ASI2022Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; kinetic impact to test asteroid deflection[20][21]
(98943) 2001 CC210.72001Hayabusa2JAXA2026Near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; extended mission target[22]
(153591) 2001 SN2632.62001ASTERAEB2022Triple near-Earth asteroid system of the Amor group[23]
(175706) 1996 FG31.691996JanusNASA2026Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; secondary payload of the Psyche launch
1991 VG0.005–0.0121991NEA ScoutNASA2022Near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; 2-year cruise and slow flyby
1998 KY260.0301998Hayabusa2JAXA2031Near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; extended mission target[22]
(a) given diameters are estimates
Note: asteroids that come to close enough to Earth can sometimes be observed, such as 4769 Castalia. (See List of asteroid close approaches to Earth.)

Proposals

Past

Former targets (were at one time proposed as a target).


Key
spacecraft failure
mission planning decisions
mission cancellation
Name Diameter
(km)		 Body Discovered Spacecraft Year Notes
2 P/Encke 4.8 January 17, 1786 CONTOUR 1998 Spacecraft lost while leaving Earth orbit
6 P/d'Arrest 3.2 June 28, 1851 CONTOUR 2008 Spacecraft lost while leaving Earth orbit
73 P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1.1 (before breakup) May 2, 1930 CONTOUR 2006 Spacecraft lost while leaving Earth orbit
140 Siwa 103 October 13, 1874 Rosetta 2007 Target changed due to launch postponement[24]
145 Adeona 151 June 3, 1875 Dawn 2016 Abandoned target (not seriously considered)
449 Hamburga 86 October 31, 1899 CRAF 1998 Mission cancelled
1620 Geographos 5.1×1.8 September 14, 1951 Clementine 1995 Mission failed before retargeting
2019 van Albada 7.5-9.4 September 28, 1935 NEAR 1998 Abandoned target
2101 Adonis 0.6 February 12, 1936 Vega 2 1987 Secondary target; insufficient fuel[25]
2530 Shipka 12.4[26] July 9, 1978 Rosetta 2007 Secondary target; changed for better trajectory[24]
2703 Rodari 9[27] March 29, 1979 Rosetta 2007 Target in early mission planning, but not chosen[24]
3352 McAuliffe 2–5 February 6, 1981 Deep Space 1 1998 Target changed due to launch postponement
3840 Mimistrobell 5.2[28] October 9, 1980 Rosetta 2007 Target changed[24]
4015 Wilson–Harrington 4 November 19, 1949 Deep Space 1 1999 Target changed due to launch postponement
4015 Wilson–Harrington 4 November 19, 1949 Hayabusa Mk2 2022 Mission cancelled
4660 Nereus ~1 February 28, 1982 NEAR 1997 Abandoned target
4660 Nereus ~1 February 28, 1982 NEAP 1997 Mission cancelled
4660 Nereus ~1 February 28, 1982 Hayabusa 2002 Target changed due to launch postponement
4979 Otawara 5.5 August 2, 1949 Rosetta 2007 Target changed due to launch postponement[24]
(5604) 1992 FE 0.6 March 26, 1992 OSIRIS-REx 2018 Secondary target abandoned in 2010 during early mission planning
(10302) 1989 ML 0.6 June 29, 1989 Hayabusa 2002 Target changed due to launch postponement
(163249) 2002 GT 0.35-0.5 April 3, 2002 Deep Impact 2020 Communications with spacecraft lost
(185851) 2000 DP107 ~0.8 February 29, 2000 PROCYON 2016 Ion engine failure in heliocentric orbit[29]

Recent

The following table lists minor planets that are proposed to be visited by spacecraft missions that have not yet been approved.

NameDiameterYear of
discovery		AgencyProposed yearNotes
99942 Apophis370 m2004CNSALaunch: ~2022Flyby[30]
169P/NEAT1871CNSALaunch: ~2022Flyby[30]
(175706) 1996 FG31,550 m1996CNSALaunch: ~2022Sample-return[30]
(172034) 2001 WR1660 m2001JAXAFlyby: 2023Potential mission extension of Hayabusa2 spacecraft.[31]
(138971) 2001 CB212001NASAFlyby: 2022Potential flyby during transit by DART spacecraft.[21]
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko4.1×3.3×1.8 km1969NASALaunch: 2024CONDOR, a proposed asteroid sample-return mission.[32] Not selected for launch.
88P/Howell4.4 km1981NASALaunch: 2024CORSAIR, a proposed comet sample-return mission.[33] Not selected for launch.
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko4.1×3.3×1.8 km1969NASALaunch: 2024CAESAR, a proposed comet sample-return mission.[34]
65803 Didymos170 m1996ESA–NASALaunch: 2023AIDA, a proposed asteroid impactor and orbiter.[35]
Trojan asteroids1906JAXALaunch: 2026OKEANOS, a proposed multiple flyby mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids using solar sail propulsion.[36]
2 Pallas512 km1779NASALaunch: 2022
Flyby: 2024		Athena, a proposed flyby of Pallas
10199 Chariklo330 km1997NASACamilla, a mission concept for a flyby and impactor

See also

References
  1. "Chang'e 2 images of Toutatis". Planetary.org.
  2. "OSIRIS-REx Cruises Over Site Nightingale During Final Dress Rehearsal". asteroidmission.org. NASA. Retrieved 13 August 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. "NASA'S OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Arrives at Asteroid Bennu". NASA. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Breaks Another Orbit Record". NASA. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. Rincon, Paul (22 February 2019). "Hayabusa-2: Japan spacecraft touches down on asteroid". BBC News. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  6. Yoshimitsu, Tetsuo; Kubota, Takashi; Tsuda, Yuichi; Yoshikawa, Makoto. "MINERVA-II1: Successful image capture, landing on Ryugu and hop!". hayabusa2.jaxa.jp. JAXA. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  7. "Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape". BBC News. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. "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
  9. "Deep Space 1". Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA. 26 August 2014. NSSDC/COSPAR ID: 1998-061A. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  10. "Rosetta spacecraft sees its shadow on a comet (photo)". Space.com. 5 March 2015. Rosetta flew just 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) from Comet 67P's surface, resulting in a resolution of 4.3 inches (11 centimeters) per pixel [for OSIRIS].
  11. "C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)". JPL Close-Approach Data. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2013. last obs (arc=493 days w/619 obs)
  12. Grossman, Lisa (6 December 2013). "Fiercest meteor shower on record to hit Mars via comet". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013.
  13. Levison, H. F.; Olkin, C.; Noll, K. S.; Marchi, S.; Lucy Team (March 2017). "Lucy: Surveying the Diversity of the Trojan Asteroids: The Fossils of Planet Formation" (PDF). 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (1964): 2025. Bibcode:2017LPI....48.2025L. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  14. Jones, Andrew (5 August 2020). "China is moving ahead with lunar south pole and near-Earth asteroid missions". Space News. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  15. Jones, Andrew (5 August 2020). "China is moving ahead with lunar south pole and near-Earth asteroid missions". Space News. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  16. Chang, Kenneth (6 January 2017). "A Metal Ball the Size of Massachusetts That NASA Wants to Explore". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  17. Toyota, Hiroyuki; Nishiyama, Kazutaka; Kawakatsu, Yasuhiro (15 August 2017). "DESTINY+: Deep Space Exploration Technology Demonstrator and Explorer to Asteroid 3200 Phaethon" (PDF). Low-Cost Planetary Missions Conference. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  18. "New SIMPLEx Mission to Send SmallSats on Longest Deep Space Journey to Date". NASA. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  19. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 52246 Donaldjohanson (1981 EQ5)" (29 July 2019 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  20. Miriam Kramer (26 March 2013). "Asteroid Deflection Mission AIDA Set To Crash Two Spacecraft Into Space Rock In 2022". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  21. Rivkin, Andy (27 September 2018). "Asteroids have been hitting the Earth for billions of years. In 2022, we hit back". Applied Physics Laboratory. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  22. Gough, Evan (25 September 2020). "Hayabusa2's Mission isn't Over. It has a New Asteroid Target to Visit: 1998 KY26". Universe Today. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  23. Reviewed plan of the ALR, the laser rangefinder for the ASTER deep space mission to the triple asteroid 2001-SN263. A. G. V. de Brum, F. C. da Cruz. XVIII Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics (2016). Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 911 (2017) doi:10.1088/1742-6596/911/1/012016
  24. Luigi Colangeli, Elena Mazzotta Epifani, Pasquale Palumbo, The New Rosetta Targets: Observations, Simulations and Instrument Performances, pp. 71-72, Springer Verlag, 2013.
  25. Ulivi, Paolo; Harland, David M (2009). Robotic Exploration of the Solar System Part 2 Hiatus and Renewal. Praxis Publishing. pp. 90–92. ISBN 9780387789040.
  26. 2530 Shipka, JPL Small-Body Database Browser
  27. Moore, Patrick, The Data Book of Astronomy, Jan 2000, page 139
  28. 3840 Mimistrobell, JPL Small-Body Database Browser
  29. "Due to ion engine failure, PROCYON will not fly by an asteroid".
  30. China working on asteroid sample return mission; will study long-term projects. Andrew Jones, GB Times. |12 May 2017.
  31. Sarli, Bruno Victorino; Tsuda, Yuichi (September 2017). "Hayabusa 2 extension plan: Asteroid selection and trajectory design". Acta Astronautica. 138: 225–232. Bibcode:2017AcAau.138..225S. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.05.016.
  32. COmet Nucleus Dust and Organics Return (CONDOR): a New Frontiers 4 Mission Proposal. (PDF) M. Choukroun, C. Raymond, M. Wadhwa. EPSC Abstracts. Vol. 11, EPSC2017-413, 2017. European Planetary Science Congress 2017.
  33. CORSAIR (COmet Rendezvous, Sample Acquisition, Investigation, and Return): A New Frontiers Mission Concept to Collect Samples from a Comet and Return them to Earth for Study (PDF). S. A. Sandford, N. L. Chabot, N. Dello Russo, J. C. Leary, E. L. Reynolds, H. A. Weaver, D. H. Wooden. 80th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society 2017 (LPI Contrib. No. 1987).
  34. Squyres, Steve (2018). CAESAR: Project Overview (PDF). 18th Meeting of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group. 17-18 January 2018. Ames Research Center, California. Lunar and Planetary Institute.
  35. Cheng, A.F.; Michel, P.; Reed, C.; Galvez, A.; Carnelli, I. (2012). DART: Double Asteroid Redirection Test (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress 2012. EPSC Abstracts.
  36. INVESTIGATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM DISK STRUCTURE DURING THE CRUISING PHASE OF THE SOLAR POWER SAIL MISSION. (PDF). T. Iwata, T. Okada, S. Matsuura, K. Tsumura, H. Yano, T. Hirai, A. Matsuoka, R. Nomura, D. Yonetoku, T. Mihara, Y. Kebukawa, M. ito, M. Yoshikawa, J. Matsu-moto, T. Chujo, and O. Mori. 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083).
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