In April 2029, the skyscraper-sized asteroid Apophis will make an exceptionally close approach to Earth. To study this rare event and advance planetary defence capabilities, the European Space Agency (ESA) is proposing the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES).
Read: Bandwidth Blog & Smile 90.4FM Tech Tuesday: Voyager 1 still going!
Discovered in 2004, Apophis will pass within a mere 20,000 miles of our planet – a distance significantly closer than the Moon. While scientists have confirmed it poses no immediate threat of impact, the encounter presents an invaluable opportunity to observe an asteroid up close.
The RAMSES mission aims to launch a spacecraft in April 2028 to rendezvous with Apophis and closely monitor its behaviour during the flyby. Data collected from this mission will be crucial for developing strategies to deflect potentially hazardous asteroids in the future.
NASA will also be observing Apophis, repurposing the Osiris-Rex spacecraft for a new mission called Osiris-Apex. Scheduled to arrive at Apophis shortly after its closest approach to Earth, Osiris-Apex will study any changes in the asteroid’s structure caused by Earth’s gravity.
This unprecedented opportunity to study an asteroid at such close range is a significant milestone in planetary defence. Scientists and space agencies worldwide are eagerly anticipating the data that will be gathered from these missions.
