OSIRIS-APEX
From Bennu to Apophis
OSIRIS-APEX is the extended mission of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, redirecting the proven asteroid explorer toward Apophis after that asteroid's close Earth encounter in 2029.
Object type
Asteroid rendezvous spacecraft
Target
Apophis
Rendezvous
2029
TransitSatellite connection
OSIRIS-APEX connects directly to the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, asteroid dynamics, planetary defense, and close-Earth encounters.
Transition
A new mission for the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
After releasing the Bennu sample capsule toward Earth, the spacecraft remained healthy and was assigned a new target under the OSIRIS-APEX name.
Objective
Measure how a close Earth flyby changes an asteroid
Apophis will pass extremely close to Earth in 2029. OSIRIS-APEX is designed to observe the asteroid after that encounter and investigate physical changes caused by Earth's gravity.
Connection
One spacecraft, two asteroid stories
The mission provides a direct bridge from Bennu sample return to a new form of asteroid rendezvous science, making OSIRIS-REx and OSIRIS-APEX best understood as connected chapters.
TransitSatellite connections
Related missions, rockets & people
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