The following tables list all minor planets and comets that have been visited by robotic 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.[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:
|
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 | landed | landed | 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 | landed | landed | 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 | landed | landed | first soft landing on a comet (November 2014) | ||||
Notes:
|
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.
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.
Name | Diameter(a) (km) |
Year of discovery |
Spacecraft | Agency | Year of visit |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 Psyche | 186 | 1852 | Psyche | NASA | 2026 | Large metallic main-belt asteroid[14] |
617 Patroclus | 141 | 1906 | Lucy | NASA | 2033 | Binary Jupiter trojan, Trojan camp, 5th-largest Jupiter trojan[13] |
3200 Phaethon | 5 | 1983 | DESTINY+ | JAXA | 2028 | Rock comet and parent body of Geminids meteor shower[15] |
3548 Eurybates | 72 | 1973 | Lucy | NASA | 2027 | Jupiter trojan with satellite, Greek camp[13] |
11351 Leucus | 42 | 1997 | Lucy | NASA | 2028 | Jupiter trojan, Greek camp, a slow rotator[13] |
15094 Polymele | 21 | 1999 | Lucy | NASA | 2027 | Jupiter trojan, Greek camp[13] |
21900 Orus | 53 | 1999 | Lucy | NASA | 2028 | Jupiter trojan, Greek camp[13] |
(35107) 1991 VH | 1.04 | 1991 | Janus | NASA | 2026 | Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; secondary payload of the Psyche launch[16] |
52246 Donaldjohanson | 3.9 | 1981 | Lucy | NASA | 2025 | Main-belt asteroid and member of the Erigone family[17] |
65803 Didymos | 0.8 | 1996 | DART / LICIACube | NASA/ASI | 2022 | main asteroid of a Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; it being a flyby target of a sapcecraft and it's moon being the kinetic impact target to test asteroid deflection[18][19] |
(98943) 2001 CC21 | 0.7 | 2001 | Hayabusa2 | JAXA | 2026 | Near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; extended mission target[20] |
(153591) 2001 SN263 | 2.6 | 2001 | ASTER | AEB | 2024/2027 | Triple near-Earth asteroid system of the Amor group[21] |
(175706) 1996 FG3 | 1.69 | 1996 | Janus | NASA | 2026 | Binary near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; secondary payload of the Psyche launch |
469219 Kamoʻoalewa | 0.041 | 2016 | ZhengHe | CNSA | 2025 | Co-orbital near-Earth asteroid; sample return target[22] |
1998 KY26 | 0.030 | 1998 | Hayabusa2 | JAXA | 2031 | Near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group; extended mission target[20] |
Dimorphous | 0.8 | 2003 | DART / LICIACube | NASA/ASI | 2022 | Moon of a Binary near-Earth asteroid system of the Apollo group; flyby target of one and kinetic impact target another spacecraft to test asteroid deflection[18][19] |
311P/PANSTARRS | 0.48 | 2013 | ZhengHe | CNSA | 2032 | Main-belt comet[23][24] |
|
Former targets (were at one time proposed as a target).
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[25] |
145 Adeona | 151 | June 3, 1875 | Dawn | 2016 | Abandoned target (not seriously considered)[citation needed] |
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[26] |
2530 Shipka | 12.4[27] | July 9, 1978 | Rosetta | 2007 | Secondary target; changed for better trajectory[25] |
2703 Rodari | 9[28] | March 29, 1979 | Rosetta | 2007 | Target in early mission planning,[when?] but not chosen[25] |
3352 McAuliffe | 2–5 | February 6, 1981 | Deep Space 1 | 1998 | Target changed due to launch postponement |
3840 Mimistrobell | 5.2[29] | October 9, 1980 | Rosetta | 2007 | Target changed[25] |
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[citation needed] |
4660 Nereus | ~1 | February 28, 1982 | NEAR | 1997 | Abandoned target[citation needed] |
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[25] |
(5604) 1992 FE | 0.6 | March 26, 1992 | OSIRIS-REx | 2018 | Secondary target abandoned in 2010 during early mission planning[citation needed] |
(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[30] |
The following table lists minor planets that are proposed to be visited by spacecraft missions that have not yet been approved.
Name | Diameter | Year of discovery |
Agency | Proposed year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 Pallas | 512 km | 1779 | NASA | Launch: 2022 Flyby: 2024 |
Athena, a proposed flyby of Pallas |
50 Virginia | 99.8 km | 1857 | NASA | Launch: 2020s Flyby: 2020s |
MANTIS, a flyby proposal of 14 asteroids the largest being 50 Virginia. |
2060 Chiron | 271 km | 1977 | NASA | Launch: 2026 Flyby: 2030s |
Centaurus, a flyby proposal of 2060 Chiron and one other centaur. |
10199 Chariklo | 330 km | 1997 | NASA | Camilla, a mission concept for a flyby and impactor | |
50000 Quaoar | 1121 km | 2002 | CNSA | Launch: 2024 Flyby: 2030s |
Interstellar Express, A Voyager-Esque mission proposed to be launched in 2024 by the CNSA. A pair of probes would flyby Neptune, Quaoar, and one other KBO before visiting the Heliosphere.[31] [32] |
99942 Apophis | 370 m | 2004 | CNSA | Launch: ~2022 | Flyby[33] |
(138971) 2001 CB21 | 2001 | NASA | Flyby: 2022 | Potential flyby during transit by DART spacecraft.[19] | |
(172034) 2001 WR1 | 660 m | 2001 | JAXA | Flyby: 2023 | Potential mission extension of Hayabusa2 spacecraft.[34] |
(175706) 1996 FG3 | 1,550 m | 1996 | CNSA | Launch: ~2022 | Sample-return[33] |
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko | 4.1×3.3×1.8 km | 1969 | NASA | Launch: 2024 | CONDOR, a proposed asteroid sample-return mission.[35] Not selected for launch. |
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko | 4.1×3.3×1.8 km | 1969 | NASA | Launch: 2024 | CAESAR, a proposed comet sample-return mission.[36] |
88P/Howell | 4.4 km | 1981 | NASA | Launch: 2024 | CORSAIR, a proposed comet sample-return mission.[37] Not selected for launch. |
169P/NEAT | 1871 | CNSA | Launch: ~2022 | Flyby[33] | |
Trojan asteroids | 1906 | JAXA | Launch: 2026 | OKEANOS, a proposed multiple flyby mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids using solar sail propulsion.[38] |
It [pioneer 10] passed within 5.5 million miles of an unnamed 0.5-mile diameter asteroid on Aug. 2
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].
last obs (arc=493 days w/619 obs)
Active |
| ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Past |
| ||||||||||
Planned |
| ||||||||||
Proposed |
| ||||||||||
Cancelled or not developed | |||||||||||
Related | |||||||||||
|
Main | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Distribution |
| ||||||||
Classification |
| ||||||||
Exploration | |||||||||
Lists | |||||||||
Related | |||||||||