MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Russia’s mission to the asteroid Apophis, which is being prepared by Moscow State University, could provide fundamentally new information about its origin and evolution, Vladislav Osedlo, deputy director for research at the university’s Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, told TASS.
The asteroid will pass 32,000 kilometers from Earth’s surface on April 13, 2029. The space object poses no threat, but its approach will create unique conditions for researchers to study it. In Russia, Lomonosov Moscow State University has initiated a mission to Apophis. In an earlier conversation with TASS, Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy highlighted its importance for predicting larger-scale asteroid threats. Researchers at the Institute of Nuclear Physics are currently working on the technical parameters of a spacecraft and its flight to the asteroid.
"One [of the devices planned for installation on board] is a gamma spectrometer. Gamma rays emitted by a substance can help researchers remotely determine its elemental composition and obtain completely new information about the origin and evolution of the asteroid’s material," the researcher told TASS on the sidelines of the Science 0+ international festival held in Moscow over the weekend.
He noted that Apophis’ approach to Earth would constitute a unique physical experiment conducted by nature itself. Researchers are particularly looking forward to obtaining important data on the effects of Earth’s gravitational field on the asteroid and its surface.
Discovered in 2004, Apophis is about 350 meters in diameter. NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX and the European Space Agency’s RAMSES missions are scheduled to observe the asteroid.
Science 0+ festival
The Science 0+ festival is one of the key events of Russia’s Decade of Science and Technology, announced by President Vladimir Putin. The festival has been taking place in Russia and abroad since 2006 at the initiative of Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy.
Over 10,000 events were held at 300 venues across Moscow on October 9-11. Before the end of the year, festival activities will also take place in Belarus, China, Serbia, India and some other countries as part of BRICS Science Week 0+. TASS is the general information partner of the Science 0+ festival.