Asteroid Apophis flyby poses scientific risk from space debris

The asteroid 99942 Apophis is scheduled to pass within 32,000 kilometers of Earth on April 13, 2029. While scientists confirm the asteroid poses no immediate threat of impact, its close approach offers a rare opportunity to study how Earth's gravity affects celestial bodies.

Researchers from the Nello Carrara Institute of Applied Physics in Italy, including Giulia Schettino and Alessandro Rossi, have warned that human-made space debris in geostationary orbit could interfere with this scientific opportunity. Simulations suggest a risk of collision with artificial fragments, which could create craters or dust clouds. Such an event would make it difficult for scientists to distinguish between changes caused by Earth's gravity and those caused by a debris impact.

To study the event, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have planned dedicated missions: OSIRIS-APEX and RAMSES. These spacecraft aim to observe how the asteroid's rotation, surface, and internal structure respond to tidal forces during the flyby.