2015 XF261
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| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | 8 December 2015 (Initial reported obs.) |
| Designations | |
| 2015 XF261 | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 2,991 days |
| Aphelion | 1.306 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.674 AU |
| 0.990 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.319 |
| 0.985 years | |
| 126.230° | |
| 1.001°/day | |
| Inclination | 0.794° |
| 209.818° | |
| 100.882° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.00244 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.928 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 25.25[2] | |
2015 XF261 is an Aten-type near-Earth asteroid with an estimated diameter of around 16 m (52 ft). It completes one orbit around the Sun every 359.7 days, placing it near the 1:1 mean-motion resonance with Earth. It is the target asteroid for a planned asteroid redirect mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
2015 XF261 is a near-Earth asteroid following an elliptical orbit around the Sun, with a semi-major axis of 0.99 astronomical units (AU), an orbital period of about 359.7 days, and an orbital inclination of 0.79°. Due to an orbital eccentricity of 0.32, its distance from the Sun varies from 0.67 AU at perihelion to 1.31 AU at aphelion.[2] Since it is an Earth-crossing asteroid with a semi-major axis under 1 AU, it is classified as an Aten asteroid.[2][3] Its orbital period nearly matches with Earth's, placing it in a near-1:1 mean-motion resonance with Earth.[4]: 2
2029 mission
2015 XF261 is the target for an asteroid-deflecting mission planned by China in 2029, launching in 2027, two years after its previous launch target of 2025. Its original target was 2019 VL5. The spacecraft is planned to be launched on a Long March 3B in 2027, making a flyby of Venus before arriving at the asteroid in early 2029, and colliding with the asteroid in April 2029 at an estimated speed of 10 km/s (6.2 mi/s).[5]
