SPACE — The American 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 its 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 gave 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 the asteroid Bennu was a tremendous success. The asteroid sample successfully returned safely to Earth in September 2023.
After that, because the probe was still in prime 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 decided on the asteroid Apophis.
In contrast to Bennu which is rich in carbon, Apophis consists of nickel-iron and silicate materials. Asteroids are usually categorized as C type, S type, or M type. Apophis is an S type asteroid, while Bennu is a C type. Apophis is relatively small, about 340 meters wide.
Why Visit Apophis?
Reporting from Earth Sky, One of the main reasons NASA chose Apophis is because on April 13 2029, this asteroid will pass close to Earth. This asteroid is estimated to be around 32,000 km from planet Earth.
This asteroid will not hit Earth in 2029. In fact, scientists have 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 categorized as a Near Earth Object (NEO). Some NEOs can be a threat and are referred to as potentially dangerous. Most potentially dangerous asteroids also belong to the S type. Therefore, it is important to learn more about them!
OSIRIS-APEX will observe this asteroid after passing its closest point to Earth. “OSIRIS-APEX will study Apophis immediately after it passes, allowing us to see how its surface changes due to interactions with Earth’s gravity,” said Amy Simon, project scientist for OSIRIS-APEX 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 only passes close to Earth once every 7,500 years.
Natural Experiment
Although this asteroid will not impact Earth at all, 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. That’s the time it takes for the asteroid to rotate once on its axis of rotation. Earth’s gravitational pull can even cause earthquakes and landslides on asteroids.
2024-01-04 14:43:00
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