NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe is currently analysing another asteroid as it approaches Earth, following its historic mission to gather samples from an asteroid in outer space.
In September, OSIRIS-REx came to a conclusion to its four billion-mile, seven-year mission to gather samples from the space rock Bennu. The scientists decided to send the vehicle on a second trip to the asteroid Apophis, which is predicted to come closer to Earth in 2029 than any other similarly-sized asteroid in recorded history, rather than shutting it down.
OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer) is the new name given to the spacecraft.
Principal investigator for OSIRIS-APEX Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina stated in a NASA press release last week that “the close approach is a great natural experiment.” “We know that two fundamental processes that may contribute to planet formation are the buildup of debris pile material and tidal pressures. They might shed light on how the solar system evolved from trash in the early stages to fully formed planets.”
Named after an Egyptian deity, Apophis is a space rock spanning over 1,000 feet in width, also referred to as the “God of Chaos.”
On April 13, 2029, the asteroid, which was first found in 2004, is predicted to pass within 20,000 miles of Earth’s surface, which is closer than certain satellites.
Scientists estimate that only once every 7,500 years do asteroids that large travel this near to Earth. Over time, scientists came to the conclusion that there was no probability of an asteroid colliding with Earth in 2029 or on Apophis’ return journey in 2036, despite their initial estimate of a 3% chance.
The asteroid’s orbit and day, which is typically 30.6 hours, will change as a result of its close encounter with Earth. Additionally, it might cause landslides and earthquakes on Apophis, exposing material that is hidden beneath the surface of the asteroid.
However, unlike its journey to Bennu, OSIRIS-APEX will not speak with Apophis. Rather, the spaceship will descend to a mere 16 feet from the surface of the asteroid and utilise its thrusters to agitate rocks and dust, providing scientists with an insight into what lies below.
NASA has high hopes for some unexpected discoveries in the future.
According to the news release, Simon stated, “We’re armed with even more questions for our next target, but we learned a lot at Bennu.”
