Scientists from a private space company are planning a controversial but daring move to land on a dangerous asteroid as it zooms past Earth in three years.
The space rock, called Apophis, was first discovered in 2004 and is expected to come close to Earth in 2029.
Previous calculations suggested a 2.7 percent chance of the asteroid colliding with Earth, potentially destroying an area nearly the size of a city.
However, scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ruled out the potential risk of any impact in the foreseeable future.
United States (US)-based company ExLabs announced ambitious plans to send two landers to attempt a landing on the space rock when it passes nearly 32,000 km from Earth.
Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Miguel Pascual said, “The main goal is to get images from the surface of the asteroid,” adding, “There’s some really exciting science that can happen.”
ExLabs said its mothership spacecraft, scheduled for launch in 2028, will carry 10 spacecraft, including two landers.
The space company plans to deploy a shoebox-sized lander that will continue to take pictures as it descends at a rate of 10 centimeters per second. The lander is expected to attempt a landing within an hour of deployment.
For context, a lander is a type of spacecraft designed to descend from orbit, pass through an atmosphere (if present), and make a soft, controlled landing on the surface of a celestial body.
To ensure Earth’s safety and no change in the asteroid’s orbit, ExLabs plans to carry out the mission one week after Apophis’ flyby.
