Editing Near-Earth object (section)

=== Artificial near-Earth objects ===
[[Image:J002e3 animated.gif|thumb|[[J002E3]] discovery images taken on September 3, 2002. J002E3 is in the circle]]
Defunct [[Uncrewed spacecraft|space probes]] and [[Multistage rocket|final stages of rockets]] can end up in near-Earth orbits around the Sun. Examples of such artificial near-Earth objects include a [[Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster|Tesla Roadster]] used as [[Boilerplate (spaceflight)|dummy payload]] in a 2018 rocket test<ref>{{cite web |title=Tesla Roadster (spacecraft) (solution #10) |date=March 27, 2018 |work=[[JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System]] |url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=-143205&CENTER='500@10'&MAKE_EPHEM=YES&TABLE_TYPE=ELEMENTS&START_TIME=2018-05-01&STOP_TIME='2018-05-01+00:00:01'&OUT_UNITS=AU-D&REF_PLANE=ECLIPTIC&REF_SYSTEM=J2000&TP_TYPE=ABSOLUTE&ELEM_LABELS=YES&CSV_FORMAT=NO&OBJ_DATA=YES |access-date=December 31, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-date=June 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630211314/https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=-143205&CENTER=%27500@10%27&MAKE_EPHEM=YES&TABLE_TYPE=ELEMENTS&START_TIME=2018-05-01&STOP_TIME=%272018-05-01+00:00:01%27&OUT_UNITS=AU-D&REF_PLANE=ECLIPTIC&REF_SYSTEM=J2000&TP_TYPE=ABSOLUTE&ELEM_LABELS=YES&CSV_FORMAT=NO&OBJ_DATA=YES}}</ref> and the [[Kepler space telescope]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=David |last1=Koch |first2=Alan |last2=Gould |title=Kepler Mission: Launch Vehicle and Orbit |date=February 12, 2007 |publisher=NASA |url=http://kepler.nasa.gov/sci/design/orbit.html |access-date=March 14, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622161529/http://kepler.nasa.gov/sci/design/orbit.html |archive-date=June 22, 2007}}</ref> Some of these objects have been re-discovered by NEO surveys when they returned to Earth's vicinity and classified as asteroids before their artificial origin was recognised.

An object classified as asteroid [[1991 VG]] was discovered during its transition from a temporary satellite orbit around Earth to a solar orbit in November 1991, and could only be observed until April 1992. Some scientists suspected it to be a returning piece of man-made space debris. After new observations in 2017 provided better data on its orbit and surface characteristics, a new study found the artificial origin unlikely.<ref name="Fuente-Marcos-2018"/>

In September 2002, astronomers found an object designated [[J002E3]]. The object was on a temporary satellite orbit around Earth, leaving for a solar orbit in June 2003. Calculations showed that it was also on a solar orbit before 2002, but was close to Earth in 1971. J002E3 was identified as the third stage of the [[Saturn V]] rocket that carried [[Apollo 12]] to the Moon.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Steve |last1=Chesley |first2=Paul |last2=Chodas |title=J002E3: An Update |date=October 9, 2002 |work=News |publisher=NASA/JPL |url=http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news136.html |access-date=November 14, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030503111617/http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news136.html |archive-date=May 3, 2003}}</ref><ref name="rocket-or-rock"/> In 2006, two more apparent temporary satellites were discovered which were suspected of being artificial.<ref name="rocket-or-rock"/> One of them was eventually confirmed as an asteroid and classified as the temporary satellite {{mp|2006 RH|120}}.<ref name="rocket-or-rock"/> The other, [[6Q0B44E]], was confirmed as an artificial object, but its identity is unknown.<ref name="rocket-or-rock"/> Another temporary satellite was discovered in 2013, and was designated {{mp|2013 QW|1}} as a suspected asteroid. It was later found to be an artificial object of unknown origin. {{mp|2013 QW|1}} is no longer listed as an asteroid by the Minor Planet Center.<ref name="rocket-or-rock">{{cite news |last=Azriel |first=Merryl |title=Rocket or Rock? NEO Confusion Abounds |date=September 25, 2013 |work=[[International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety#Space Safety Magazine|Space Safety Magazine]] |url=http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/space-debris/satellite-tracking/rocket-or-rock/ |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115143536/http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/space-debris/satellite-tracking/rocket-or-rock/ |archive-date=November 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name="MPC_QW1">{{Cite web |title=MPC Database Search. Unknown object: 2013 QW1 |publisher=IAU/MPC |url=https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2013+QW1 |access-date=January 3, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250103123618/https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search |archive-date=January 3, 2025}}</ref> In September 2020, an object detected on an orbit very similar to that of the Earth was temporarily designated {{mpl|2020 SO|}}. However, orbital calculations and spectral observations confirmed that the object was the [[Centaur (rocket stage)|Centaur rocket booster]] of the 1966 [[Surveyor 2]] uncrewed lunar lander.<ref>{{cite news |title=Earth May Have Captured a 1960s-Era Rocket Booster |date=November 12, 2020 |work=News |publisher=NASA/JPL |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/earth-may-have-captured-a-1960s-era-rocket-booster |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220135930/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/earth-may-have-captured-a-1960s-era-rocket-booster/ |archive-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New Data Confirm 2020 SO to Be the Upper Centaur Rocket Booster From the 1960's |date=December 2, 2020 |work=News |publisher=NASA/JPL |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/new-data-confirm-2020-so-to-be-the-upper-centaur-rocket-booster-from-the-1960s |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220224200/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/new-data-confirm-2020-so-to-be-the-upper-centaur-rocket-booster-from-the-1960s/ |archive-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref>

In some cases, active space probes on solar orbits have been observed by NEO surveys and erroneously catalogued as asteroids before identification. During its 2007 flyby of Earth on its route to a comet, ESA's space probe ''[[Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta]]'' was detected unidentified and classified as asteroid {{mp|2007 VN|84}}, with an alert issued due to its close approach.<ref>{{cite news |first=Justin |last= Mullins |title=Astronomers defend asteroid warning mix-up |date=November 13, 2007 |work=New Scientist |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12914-astronomers-defend-asteroid-warning-mix-up/ |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307062102/https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12914-astronomers-defend-asteroid-warning-mix-up/ |archive-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> The designation {{mp|2015 HP|116}} was similarly removed from asteroid catalogues when the observed object was identified with ''[[Gaia (spacecraft)|Gaia]]'', ESA's [[space observatory]] for [[astrometry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=MPEC 2015-H125: Deletion Of 2015 HP116 |date=April 27, 2015 |work=Minor Planet Electronic Circular |publisher=IAU/MPC |url=http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K15/K15HC5.html |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127001828/https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K15/K15HC5.html |archive-date=November 27, 2024}}</ref>