Rate of Δν Determination for Near Earth Asteroids

The best near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) candidates for observation are those with low Δv as it is these that are best suited for unmanned, manned, scientific, and commercial expeditions. The majority of NEAs being discovered are small and dim, having a diameter of less than 100 meters and an absolute magnitude of H ≥ 22. In approximately one week, the magnitudes are so faint that follow-up photometry, spectroscopy, and astrometry are no longer possible except with the largest telescopes. This requires follow-up observations to be done within days of an asteroid's initial discovery. Given the large number of asteroids being discovered annually and the short timespan when they are bright enough for observations, only the best low Δv candidates can be selected for follow-up observations. We used archival observation data of 200 representative asteroids from the Minor Planet Center (MPC) and the Find Orb orbit determination software from Project Pluto to determine the speed at which orbital parameters converge on a Δv solution. Based on the data, after three days of observations, 95% of NEAs converged to within 10% precision