Named in honor of Robert L. Staehle, astronautical engineer, member of the technical staff of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and president and founder of the World Space Foundation. The Foundation, a non-profit corporation, promotes research and the exploration of space and provides funding from private sources. The discoverer wishes to acknowledge Rob Staehle for the role he and the Foundation have played in recognizing the importance of near-earth asteroids and sponsoring some of the research carried out by the Palomar Planet-Crossing Asteroid Survey. The NASA/JPL Asteroid Project has received valuable assistance and encouragement from Staehle and the Foundation since 1981. (M 14482) _ _.