10 Asteroids Named to Honour ESA's Role in Planetary Defence
In 2025, the International Astronomical Union approved the naming of 10 asteroids after individuals and locations associated with the European Space Agency's (ESA) efforts to discover, monitor, explore, and safeguard Earth from asteroids and comets that pose a threat. These names were chosen to recognise the contributions of ESA's Planetary Defence Office and the teams involved in studying asteroids and using their knowledge to protect our planet.
One of the asteroids, provisionally known as 2021 FE40, has been officially named (810657) ESOC, after ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany. ESOC has been Europe's control centre for ambitious spacecraft missions for almost 60 years, managing missions to planets, comets, asteroids, and more. It also serves as the administrative hub for ESA's Space Safety Programme, which includes the Planetary Defence team.
The asteroid was discovered in March 2021 by astronomer Erwin Schwab and Detlef Koschny, the former Head of Planetary Defence. It is estimated to be between 600 and 1300 meters across, making it at least twice the size of the ESOC campus on Earth. It orbits the Sun beyond the orbit of Mars.
Schwab and Koschny were invited to ESOC to celebrate the naming of this asteroid and others as part of ESA Director of Operations Rolf Densing's New Year's address on January 13. Densing stated that the naming of these asteroids after ESA sites, astronomers, mathematicians, and others acknowledges the significant work of the Planetary Defence Office and the teams dedicated to studying asteroids and using their findings to protect our planet.
The 10 asteroids named in 2025, along with one comet, are as follows:
- (126247) Laurafaggioli, named after Laura Faggioli for her work on asteroid orbit determination and risk assessment for ESA's Planetary Defence team.
- (126248) Dariooliviero, named after Dario Oliviero for his contributions to providing operational data for ESA's Planetary Defence team.
- (296587) Ocaña, named after Francisco Ocaña for his achievements in Planetary Defence, both in general and specifically for ESA.
- (457818) Ramírezmoreta, named after Pablo Ramírez Moreta for his research in astronomy and his work in ESA's Planetary Defence team.
- (826631) Frascati, named after the city of Frascati, Italy, home to ESA's European Space Research Institute (ESRIN), which hosts the Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC).
- (438881) Michaelkhan, named after former ESA Mission Analyst Michael Khan for his contributions to planetary defence spacecraft missions, including Hera and Ramses.
- (386618) Accomazzo, named after ESA's former Head of Mission Operations, Andrea Accomazzo, for his role in missions to small Solar System bodies, such as Rosetta and Hera.
- (321480) Juanluiscano, named after ESA's Juan Luis Cano for his contributions as an engineer and project manager in space mission studies, including 'Don Quijote' and his work in Planetary Defence.
- (241373) Richardmoissl, named after Richard Moissl, the current Head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office, for his contributions to the office and various ESA missions.
- P/2025 W3 (Kresken), a new comet named after its discoverer, ESA astronomer Rainer Kresken.
How Asteroids Get Their Names
The asteroid naming process is managed by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature. When an asteroid is first discovered, it receives a 'provisional designation' based on the discovery date. For example, 2021 FE40 indicates the year of discovery (2021) and the half-month of discovery (F for the second half of March). The number after the letter represents the order of discovery within that half-month.
Once the asteroid's orbit is well-understood and its trajectory can be reliably predicted, it receives a permanent number. Around 850,000 of the 1.3 million known asteroids have been numbered. The first asteroid to receive a number was Ceres, and (810657) 2021 FE40 is the 810,657th.
After receiving a permanent number, the discoverers propose a name, which is then reviewed by the Working Group and must follow IAU guidelines. The name should be no longer than 16 characters, typically one word, and pronounceable in at least one recognised language. It should not be offensive, and names of personal pets, commercial products, and recent political or military figures are generally not allowed.
Some asteroid classes or families have specific naming traditions. For instance, Jupiter's Trojan asteroids are named after figures associated with the Trojan War, while the Centaur family of asteroids are named after mythological centaurs.
Once approved, the asteroid is officially known by its name, written as '(number) Name', like (810657) ESOC.
