SPACE — The U.S. Space Agency’s (NASA) OSIRIS-REx space mission is a historic achievement. The mission brought the first samples from the asteroid Bennu to Earth in September 2023.
The spacecraft is still in good condition and still has a quarter of fuel remaining. NASA diverted this mission to a new destination, namely the asteroid Apophis.
Asteroid Apophis is an asteroid that has the potential to collide with Earth. After a long journey, this probe will reach Apophis in April 2029, just as the asteroid passes close to Earth.
Because it is carrying out a new mission, NASA has given this mission a new name. What was once known as OSIRIS-REx is now called OSIRIS-APEX, short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer.
OSIRIS-APEX: new purpose and name
The OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu was a huge success. The asteroid sample successfully returned safely to Earth in September 2023.
Subsequently, since the probe was still in optimal condition and had fuel remaining, NASA directed the probe to a new object to explore. NASA had considered various comets and even Venus, but ultimately chose the asteroid Apophis.
Unlike Bennu which is rich in carbon, Apophis is made up of nickel-iron and silicate materials. Asteroids are generally classified as C-type, S-type, or M-type. Apophis is an S-type asteroid, while Bennu is a C-type asteroid. Apophis is relatively small, about 340 meters across.
Why visit Apophis?
Reporting from Earth Sky, One of the main reasons why NASA chose Apophis is because on April 13, 2029 this asteroid will pass close to Earth. This asteroid is estimated to be approximately 32,000 km from planet Earth.
This asteroid will not hit Earth in 2029. Scientists have in fact ruled out the possibility of a collision with the asteroid Apophis for at least the next 100 years.
So if Apophis isn’t going to crash into us, why should we study it? Apophis is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO). Some NEOs can pose a threat and are defined as potentially dangerous. Even the most potentially dangerous asteroids belong to the S type. Therefore, it is important to know more about them!
OSIRIS-APEX will observe this asteroid after passing its closest point to Earth. “OSIRIS-APEX will study Apophis immediately after its passage, allowing us to see how its surface changes due to interactions with Earth’s gravity,” said Amy Simon, OSIRIS-APEX project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
According to him, this is a rare opportunity to see Apophis properly, because this asteroid passes near the Earth only once every 7,500 years.
Natural experiment
Although this asteroid will have no impact on Earth, Earth’s much greater gravity will affect the asteroid. In fact, Earth’s gravity can slightly change the asteroid’s orbit and the length of the asteroid’s day.
Currently, a day on Apophis lasts 30.6 hours. This is the time it takes for the asteroid to rotate once on its rotation axis. Earth’s gravitational pull can even cause earthquakes and landslides on asteroids.
2024-01-04 14:43:00
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