Wild Apophis asteroid spacecraft concept would loft tiny, laser-driven probes for 2029 flyby

A laser-driven light-sail probe could visit an asteroid.

Apophis, a space rock that poses no threat to Earth for at least 100 years, will make a close flyby of our planet in 2029.

2029 might be enough time to come up with a few more mission ideas. The Houston-based lunar and planetary institute held a conference on planetary defense on May 11 and 12.

One of the presentations described an idea to test out a rapid launch scenario in case of trouble, not that we have found any asteroids to worry about yet. It could serve as an early test for another laser-driven craft that may go into the stars one day.

There are huge asteroid Apophis in photos.

The May 12 presentation by Paul Blase of Space Initiatives Inc. outlined a mission concept that would launch a pair of mini spacecraft aboard a Black Brant sounding rocket. Each probe would have a few simple instruments.

One spaceship would release above the thickest part of the atmosphere at 76 miles, while the other would release at the maximum altitude. A laser array fired from Earth would push each probe to an apogee of 18,700 miles. The 13th flyby of Apophis in 2029 will be so close that it will be seen by some satellites.

The first 3D-printed probe would hit the asteroid, while the second would look at the impact with a spectrometer. After re-entry, the data would be recovered.

He said that it was only a gram and that it was not going to do much. But it will raise a smell.

The team is looking at more mission concepts. There could be regular flybys in the weeks before and after approach. Each of the concepts would cost $2 million, which is relatively cheap.

He said it would take five years to put the mission together.

One day, testing an asteroid rapid-response capability will be critical for planetary defense. Near-Earth asteroids are spotted with a week or less to go before their first known flyby.

He said that all of the basic technology in the proposal currently exists.

The proposal is not associated with the ambitious Starshot that hopes to reach the Alpha Centauri system in a few decades.

For example, the laser array needed for the asteroid mission would be less than the gigawatts needed, meaning testing could be done at a smaller scale. The Apophis mission would happen very close to Earth, allowing for engineering assessments before the craft leaves.

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