“The Destroyer God” is the nickname given by the scientific community to Apophis, one of the objects with a high risk of colliding with Earth.
The asteroid Apophis is named after Apep – a giant, malevolent serpent that rules over darkness and chaos in Egyptian mythology. It is considered by leading space agencies to be the most dangerous asteroid to Earth.
Earlier calculations had warned that Apophis could collide with Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Apophis in the near-Earth space – (Graphic: NASA).
Fortunately, more refined calculations have since shown that this will only be a close approach at a distance of 48,300 km. For at least the next 100 years, humanity can breathe a sigh of relief.
However, this is still an object that requires close monitoring and thorough research.
According to Space.com, in the “NEAlight” project, a research team from Julius Maximilians University Würzburg (JMU – Germany) has revealed the idea of sending a spacecraft to rendezvous with Apophis in 2029 to gain a better understanding of it and other Earth-threatening objects.
The first idea of the team is for a small satellite to accompany Apophis for about two months as it approaches Earth.
This special mission will be challenging due to its timing, the necessary distance to travel, and the fact that the spacecraft will need to operate autonomously for an extended period. It would also need to launch at least a year before Apophis reaches the vicinity of Earth.
The second idea involves integrating with a larger spacecraft being planned by the European Space Agency (ESA) called RAMSES, which is a spacecraft studying the Van Allen radiation belt surrounding the planet.
This mission could carry smaller satellites, measuring devices, and telescopes, including a satellite designed by the JMU team to collect data on Apophis.
The third idea involves a small satellite that would briefly fly by Apophis when the asteroid is closest to Earth, capturing images of the asteroid during this time.
While the easiest option and requiring a launch just two days before the close approach, the third idea would yield the least scientific data due to the short duration of the encounter.
In addition to Apophis, these ideas can be designed to target other Earth-threatening objects.
Humanity is aware of about 1.3 million asteroids in the Solar System, of which approximately 2,500 are considered potentially hazardous (PHA).
These are objects with a diameter of 140 meters or more, passing Earth within 20 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
Among them, “The Destroyer God” Apophis has a maximum width of about 335 meters and tops the list of PHAs with impact risk according to the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s Sentry Risk Table.
NASA has sent a spacecraft to Apophis In fact, there is already a human spacecraft on its way to “The Destroyer God.” This is OSIRIS-APEX from NASA. Originally named OSIRIS-REx, OSIRIS-APEX returned samples from another planet to Earth in late September 2023 by parachute and is now continuing its journey to Apophis. OSIRIS-APEX will be tasked with approaching the asteroid when it is near Earth, exploring the structure, composition, and surface of Apophis, as well as any changes following the close approach. |
