The likely bright E-type asteroid was named Astronautica, the Latin word for "star sailor", on the 50th anniversary of the Space Age.
[8] It was named by the International Astronomical Union's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature to recognize the 50th anniversary of the start of the Space Age, as marked by the launch of the Soviet Sputnik spacecraft into orbit on 4 October 1957.
[9] The number 100,000 is significant because it marks the altitude in meters where outer space begins, as delineated by the Kármán line established by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
[2][8] Most members of the Hungaria family are E-type asteroids, which means they have extremely bright enstatite surfaces and albedos typically around 0.35.
[7] Based on the body's estimated albedo and its absolute magnitude of 16.9,[1][3] Astronautica measures approximately 940 meters (0.58 miles) in diameter.