Asteroid C15KM95, a sub‑2‑meter object discovered only hours before, made an extremely close flyby of Earth, passing roughly 250 miles (≈400 km) above the surface. The rock traversed beneath numerous satellites — including the ISS — and posed no risk to life or property.
Discovered |
Briefing
Demonstrates detection limits: a sub‑2‑meter asteroid was identified only hours before a ~250‑mile close pass, illustrating the short warning time for small objects and limits of current survey coverage. See recent analysis of detection and impact‑probability challenges: https://hype.aero/?story=7c031925-cefa-4c04-8961-93783c03136d
Direct operational impact: the object passed through Low Earth Orbit beneath many satellites, including the ISS, underscoring the need for timely catalog updates and conjunction screening for satellite operators and station managers.
Reinforces coordinated observation interest: events like this feed into plans for international reconnaissance and rapid response to close approaches, complementing recent proposals for planned flybys of record‑close objects. See related international Apophis mission planning: https://hype.aero/?story=bb651471-cdae-4494-bc6a-dd0bcbb366dd and https://hype.aero/?story=2c482437-be13-4410-bced-b80965d27268
Reported By
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Small asteroid skimmed past Earth within ISS altitude over Antarctica • scitechdaily.com
Space.com
• Elizabeth Howell