NASA launches mission to monitor 'God of Chaos' asteroid and assess any potential risk to Earth's orbit.

 

Following its historic mission to collect samples from the asteroid Bennu, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is gearing up for a new assignment: studying another asteroid during its close approach to Earth. Despite completing its seven-year journey to Bennu in September, the spacecraft, now renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer), will embark on a second mission to observe the asteroid Apophis. Apophis is expected to pass closer to Earth in 2029 than any other similarly-sized asteroid in recorded history.

NASA conducted an OSIRIS-REx sample unveiling at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2023. The revealed sample from the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu contains abundant water and carbon, reinforcing the theory that life on Earth may have originated from outer space.

In a recent NASA press release, Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, principal investigator for OSIRIS-APEX, stated, "The close approach is a great natural experiment," highlighting the significance of observing Apophis during its close encounter with Earth. This unique opportunity could provide insights into fundamental processes, such as tidal forces and the accumulation of rubble pile material, that contribute to planet formation.

Apophis, the "God of Chaos," is a space rock over 1,000 feet wide. Discovered in 2004, it is anticipated to pass within 20,000 miles of Earth's surface, closer than some satellites, on April 13, 2029.

The proximity of asteroids of such magnitude to Earth occurs approximately once every 7,500 years, as per scientific estimates. Initially, scientists suggested a 3% chance of a collision with Earth, but subsequent observations ruled out any impact in 2029 or during Apophis' return in 2036.

The close encounter will induce changes in Apophis's orbit and alter its day length from the usual 30.6 hours. This cosmic interaction may potentially trigger quakes and landslides on Apophis, revealing materials hidden beneath the asteroid's surface.

"OSIRIS-APEX will study Apophis immediately after such a pass, allowing us to see how its surface changes by interacting with Earth’s gravity," explained Amy Simon, the mission’s project scientist, in a NASA press release. The spacecraft's cameras will initiate observations approximately two weeks before Apophis passes Earth, with its arrival at the asteroid scheduled for April 13, 2029. Over the subsequent year and a half, OSIRIS-APEX will closely study any alterations caused by the asteroid's close encounter. In a departure from its mission to Bennu, OSIRIS-APEX will not make physical contact with Apophis. Instead, it will descend to within 16 feet of the asteroid's surface and employ thrusters to stir up rocks and dust, providing scientists with valuable insights into the composition beneath the surface.