Apophis 2029 Flyby: Orbit Change & ‘God of Chaos’ Asteroid

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OSIRIS-REx Repurposed: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, recently returned from⁤ a mission to asteroid ⁣Bennu, is being reassigned to a new mission called OSIRIS-APEX.
New Target: Apophis: OSIRIS-APEX will now focus on asteroid apophis, studying it before, during, and after its close flyby of Earth. Specifically, it will map the⁣ surface, monitor its spin, and measure the effects of Earth’s gravity.
Seismic ‍study: A major goal is to measure seismic vibrations ⁣ inside ⁤Apophis, which would be a meaningful advancement as this has only been done ⁣on the Moon and Mars.
RAMSES Mission (ESA): The European Space agency is planning a mission called RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for ⁣Space Safety) to also study Apophis. It would launch in⁣ 2028 and arrive ⁢in February⁤ 2029.
Combined Observation: Both OSIRIS-APEX and ⁤RAMSES will observe Apophis, providing a comprehensive study of⁣ the asteroid during its Earth flyby. Proximity: RAMSES will⁣ hover as close⁣ as 3 ‍miles (5 km) from Apophis.