(13667) Samthurman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 April 1997 by NEAT at Haleakala.
Sam Thurman (b. 1961) led a team that helped develop the landing system for Mars Pathfinder that was key in proving that the landing approach would perform reliably on Mars. This used a Monte Carlo computer simulation that accurately modeled the spacecraft and its interaction with the Martian environment.Naming citation (20020526/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Samthurman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Samthurman is 2.77 au from the Sun and 3.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 13667 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 GT37 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.1 |
| Orbital period | 3.65 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.37 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.95 – 2.79 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.178 |
| Inclination | 2.33° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.953 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Sam
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