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The Planetary Society chose the
winner of the Apophis Mission Design Competition from 37 projects, coming from
all corners of the world. SpaceDev Inc., together with teammate SpaceWorks
Engineering, were the winners of the $25,000 prize, in a contest that focused
on monitoring the 2004 MN4 satellite, also known as Apophis, that is said to
hit the Earth in 2036.
The competition, which was
sponsored by both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) has the mission to
gather data on the trajectory of the asteroid so as to establish the chances of
an impact with our planet. The Foresight spacecraft designed by the winning
team will travel to Apophis for closer observations, before specialists will
decide whether a space mission will be necessary prior to the 2029 Earth pass.
“SpaceDev is honoured by this
award, and we are proud of the design produced by our collaboration with SEI,”
said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CNNMoney
reports. “We thank The Planetary Society, NASA and ESA for sponsoring the
competition, which we expect to be influential in advancing the objectives of
Near Earth Object threat mitigation. We believe that low-cost space missions
will play a fundamental role in this critical work, and we look forward to
contributing our capabilities to such efforts.”
Apophis’ situation is a delicate
one, as it trajectory isn’t currently targeting Earth, but the influence of
exterior factors could change that. If the asteroid, which is expected to get
18,300 miles close to our planet, passes though a keyhole during that time, it
could change trajectory and an impact with our planet could become imminent
upon a second pass in 2036.
The winners are expected to
launch Foresight somewhere in between 2012 and 2014, while the journey to
Apophis will last approximately 10 months. The importance of the observances is
a key element in avoiding a possible destructive impact with our planet. According
to scientists’ estimations, the 1,300 feet asteroid could provoke 56 feet high
tsunamis if it will struck the Pacific Ocean.
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