Asteroid Apophis to Pass Within 32,000 km of Earth in 2029, NASA and ESA Rule Out Impact

Apophis close approach space debris NASA ESA

On 13 April 2029 the 340‑metre asteroid 99942 Apophis will skim Earth at a distance of about 32 000 km, lower than the orbit of geostationary satellites (≈35 800 km). NASA and the European Space Agency have confirmed that the asteroid poses no impact threat for at least the next century.

The unusually close fly‑by will let scientists observe how Earth’s gravity alters the asteroid’s trajectory and rotation, and may trigger minor surface landslides. Italian researchers Giulia Schettino and Alessandro Rossi warned that the dense cloud of human‑made space debris could intersect Apophis’s path, presenting a small but real collision risk that could affect data from the planned NASA OSIRIS‑APEX and ESA RAMSES missions.

The event offers a rare opportunity for planetary‑science studies while highlighting the growing concern over orbital debris around the planet.

Entities: 99942 Apophis · Alessandro Rossi · European Space Agency · European Space Agency (ESA) · Giulia Schettino · NASA · OSIRIS‑APEX · RAMSES

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 3 SOURCES] Simulations indicate a small risk that Apophis could collide with human‑made space debris during its 2029 pass. (Spanish and Dutch articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] Apophis will pass within about 32,000 km of Earth on 13 April 2029. (All articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] Italian researchers Giulia Schettino and Alessandro Rossi highlighted the debris‑collision risk. (Spanish and Dutch articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] The fly‑by distance is lower than the altitude of geostationary satellites (~35,800 km). (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] NASA and ESA have ruled out any impact risk from Apophis for at least the next century. (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] NASA’s OSIRIS‑APEX mission and ESA’s RAMSES mission are planned to observe Apophis during the encounter. (Spanish, Dutch, and English articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] Apophis is about 340 metres in diameter. (All articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] The close approach will let scientists study Earth’s gravitational effects on Apophis, including changes to its orbit and rotation. (All articles)