RAMSES
MISSION AND APOPHIS ASTEROID - SCIENCE
News: On April 13,
2029, Apophis will pass within 32,000 kilometers of Earth, closer than many
satellites in orbit and ten times nearer than the moon.
- This event provides a rare opportunity for
scientific observation, as such close encounters with large asteroids
occur once every 5,000 to 10,000 years.
What’s in the
news?
Apophis
Asteroid
- Size and Characteristics: Apophis is an S-type, or stony, asteroid approximately
375 meters in diameter, similar in size to a cruise liner.
- It is shaped like a peanut and composed of
silicate materials and nickel-iron.
- First discovered in 2004, Apophis is named for
the Egyptian god of chaos and darkness and believed to be shaped like a
peanut.
- Initially, astronomers were concerned that the
space rock might impact Earth in 2029 and 2068, but subsequent
observations have ruled out any risk of Apophis posing a threat to the
Earth for the next century, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object
Studies.
- Apophis is of interest because it’s an S-type,
or stony, asteroid — different from other space rocks visited by NASA
missions, including Bennu, which is a C-type, or carbonaceous,
asteroid.
- C-type asteroids are made of clay and silicate
rocks, while S-types are composed of silicate materials and nickel-iron.
- Stony asteroids are part of the most common
class of potentially hazardous asteroids that pose a threat to our planet.
RAMSES Mission
- The Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety
(RAMSES), led by the European Space Agency (ESA), is a mission designed to
study the near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis.
- Objective: The Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES) aims to study
Apophis during its close approach to Earth. The mission will focus on
observing the asteroid's behavior and characteristics before, during, and
after the flyby to understand the effects of Earth's gravitational forces
on Apophis.
- Launch and Timeline: RAMSES is scheduled to launch in April 2028
and will rendezvous with Apophis in February 2029. The mission's
preparatory work has already begun, with a final commitment decision
expected at ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting in November 2025.
- Scientific Goals: The mission will use a suite of instruments
to measure the asteroid's shape, surface, orientation, orbit, composition,
mass, density, porosity, and interior structure. These observations will
provide insights into asteroid behavior, aiding planetary defense
strategies.
Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/science/european-space-agency-apophis-asteroid-9466532/