Apophis EX Mission

No. Current orbital models have ruled out an Earth impact for at least the next 100 years. The asteroid will pass within approximately 38,000 km of Earth's geocenter — closer than many geosynchronous satellites.

No. The Apophis Specific Action Team (SAT) report, commissioned by NASA's Planetary Science Division, specifically evaluated the impact of any technically available spacecraft contact. The analysis confirms that such a slight deflection — whether applied before or after the 2029 encounter — will not cause an impact within 100 years.

The mission provides a rare, real-time opportunity to observe geophysical processes as they happen. Specifically, we aim to witness tidal resurfacing — where Earth's gravity causes the movement of boulders or regolith on the asteroid's surface.

While ground-based radar and optical telescopes are powerful, they cannot definitively detect small-scale surface changes. Only a spacecraft in close proximity can provide ground-truth high-resolution images to identify the movement of decimeter-scale rocks or changes in surface color caused by the exposure of fresh, unweathered material.

Apophis is a non-principal axis rotator, meaning it tumbles as it moves. By monitoring how its spin state changes before and after the Earth flyby, scientists can infer its internal mass distribution and determine if it has a uniform or non-uniform density.

Yes. Some ground-based radars used to track the asteroid operate on the C-band frequency (7190 MHz), which is also used for spacecraft communication. Mission planning accounts for this to avoid interference during critical observation windows.

Earth's gravity will significantly alter Apophis's path, causing it to jump from an Aten-class orbit to an Apollo-class orbit. Its average distance from the Sun (semi-major axis) will increase from 0.92 AU to 1.10 AU.