Apophis asteroid to fly within 32,000 km of Earth in 2029, debris risk noted

In April 2029 the 370‑metre asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass Earth at a distance of less than 32,000 km, closer than many communication satellites. Scientists from Italy’s National Research Council, the European Space Agency and NASA modelled the flyby and concluded the asteroid poses no impact threat, but warned that fragments of space debris in geostationary orbit could collide with Apophis and complicate observations.

NASA’s asteroid‑expert Humberto Campins said the event highlights the need for planetary‑defence preparedness, noting that while the chance of a direct impact on an individual is extremely low, humanity must develop techniques to deflect hazardous asteroids. ESA plans to study the encounter with its RAMSES mission, and NASA will use the OSIRIS‑APEX spacecraft to monitor any changes in the asteroid’s rotation, surface or trajectory caused by Earth’s gravity.

The study, published in The Planetary Science Journal, also stresses that unexpected debris impacts could affect the scientific opportunity to probe the asteroid’s interior, underscoring the importance of tracking and mitigating space‑junk hazards.