NASA redirects OSIRIS-REx to study Apophis after 2029 Earth flyby
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 4
NASA redirects OSIRIS-REx to study Apophis after 2029 Earth flyby
12 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 4
The asteroid will pass about 20,000 miles from Earth on 13 April 2029, closer than many satellites, but NASA says there is no impact risk for at least 100 years.
The repurposed spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX after returning Bennu samples in 2023, will examine how Earth's gravity pulls and reshapes Apophis during the unusually close encounter.
ESA is also sending a mission, while observatories worldwide plan observations of the potentially hazardous asteroid, which may be visible across the Eastern Hemisphere without binoculars or a telescope.
When asteroid Apophis narrowly misses Earth in 2029, what secrets will it reveal about protecting our planet from future threats?
How can NASA build a moon base and go to Mars while facing the deepest science budget cuts in its history?
With China accelerating its lunar plans, can private US companies build a moon base fast enough to win the new space race?
NASA's OSIRIS-APEX Mission to Study Asteroid Apophis's Historic 2029 Close Flyby Within 20,000 Miles of Earth
Overview
After successfully returning samples from asteroid Bennu in 2023, NASA repurposed the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as OSIRIS-APEX to study asteroid Apophis, which will make a rare close flyby of Earth in April 2029. During this encounter, Earth's gravity will cause significant changes to Apophis's spin, surface, and orbit. OSIRIS-APEX will begin an 18-month science mission shortly after the flyby, including a unique experiment firing thrusters at Apophis to study its surface material. Complementing this, the ESA's Ramses mission will arrive before the flyby to provide baseline data. This global collaboration, supported by international coordination and public outreach, aims to deepen our understanding of asteroid behavior and improve planetary defense.