OSIRIS-APEX

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About OSIRIS-APEX

It is a mission to study the physical changes to asteroid Apophis that will result from its rare close encounter with Earth in April 2029.
That year, Apophis’ orbit will bring it within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of Earth’s surface — closer to Earth than our highest-altitude satellites.
The mission aims to observe the physical changes induced by Earth’s gravitational pull during Apophis’ flyby.
These changes could include alterations in the asteroid’s orbit, rotation speed, and surface features such as quakes or landslides.
Additionally, the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will dip toward the surface of Apophis.

Key facts about Apophis

It was discovered on June 19, 2004.
It is a stony “S-type” asteroid made of silicate (or rocky) material and a mixture of metallic nickel and iron
It is a remnant from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago.
It originated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Over millions of years, its orbit was changed primarily by the gravitational influence of large planets like Jupiter so that it now orbits the Sun closer to Earth.
As a result, Apophis is classified as a near-Earth asteroid, as opposed to a main-belt asteroid.

Q1) What Is an Asteroid?

It is any of a host of small bodies, about 1,000 km (600 miles) or less in diameter, that orbit the Sun primarily between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in a nearly flat ring called the asteroid belt. It is because of their small size and large numbers relative to the major planets that asteroids are also called minor planets.

Source: Nasa renames mission going to asteroid Apophis after returning rocks from Bennu