Private Company Plans Asteroid Apophis Landing as it Approaches Earth

In 2029, when the asteroid Apophis makes its close pass by Earth, it will be joined by two landers from a private U.S. company.

Measuring around 400 meters in diameter and discovered in 2004, Apophis initially had a concerning 2.7% chance of colliding with Earth in April 2029, which could devastate an area the size of a city. However, updated studies now indicate there’s no risk of impact for at least the next century.

On April 13, 2029, Apophis will fly at a mere 32,000 kilometers from Earth—closer than geostationary satellites. This historic event will allow it to be visible to the naked eye, marking a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for asteroid observation. Multiple spacecraft from the USA, Europe, Japan, and China are slated to observe the asteroid before, during, and after its flyby.

Among these missions, US-based ExLabs has announced its flagship spacecraft, Apophis ExL, has successfully passed a critical review stage. The planned launch in 2028 will carry up to ten different landers and equipment from various clients, including a lander from an undisclosed source and two from Japan’s Chiba Institute of Technology.

“Our goal is to capture images from the asteroid’s surface,” states Miguel Pascual, chief scientific officer and co-founder of ExLabs. “This could lead to groundbreaking scientific discoveries.”

No private company has successfully landed on an asteroid to date, but US asteroid mining firm Astroforge intends to initiate a mission for such a landing this year.

ExLabs plans to deploy Chiba Institute of Technology’s shoebox-sized lander from an altitude of 400 meters above Apophis. It will descend at approximately 10 centimeters per second and land quietly on the surface after an hour, capturing images with onboard cameras.

The landing is strategically scheduled for up to a week post-close-approach to mitigate the risk of altering Apophis’s orbit. Pascual notes that the gravitational influences during the flyby could amplify impacts significantly.

Additionally, the European and Japanese Ramses mission (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) will also deploy a lander. Led by project scientist Patrick Michel of the University of the Cote d’Azur, this mission aims to land a few days prior to the flyby to measure landslide activity induced by Earth’s gravity, potentially documenting ExLabs’ lander as it descends.

“The chance to physically interact with the surface and assess its texture is remarkable,” says Michel.

However, Michel emphasizes the need for seamless communication among all missions to prevent any operational conflicts. “It’s crucial that we adapt accordingly,” he adds. “The world will be observing us. We must ensure success.”