Asteroid Apophis and NASA's Study Plans

What is a Near-Earth Object (NEO)?

• A star that is close to the Earth

• A comet that never approaches Earth

• An object with an orbit that crosses Earth's orbit

• An object that orbits the Sun beyond Jupiter

What was the initial probability of Apophis impacting Earth in 2029?

• 2.7%

• 1.5%

• 3.5%

• 0.5%

Who were the astronomers that discovered Apophis?

• Roy A. Tucker, David J. Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi

• Edwin Hubble, Stephen Hawking, and Kip Thorne

• Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Brian Cox

• Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton

What is the new mission name for the Osiris Rex spacecraft?

• Osiris Apophis

• Osiris Apex

• Osiris Asteroid

• Osiris Explorer

What is the main goal of the Osiris Apex mission?

• To deflect Apophis away from Earth

• To land on Apophis and mine resources

• To study Apophis' interior and its interaction with Earth's gravity

• To capture Apophis and bring it to Earth

What is the Enlight project?

• A project to study the Sun's corona

• A project to develop defense measures against asteroids

• A project to send satellites to study Apophis

• A project to build a new space station

Which satellite mission concept involves a brief flyby of Apophis?

• None of the concepts

• The third concept

• The second concept

• The first concept

What is the main challenge of the first satellite mission concept?

• Its inability to capture images

• Its short duration

• Its high cost

• Its long duration and autonomous operation

What is the potential benefit of the third satellite mission concept?

• It is relatively inexpensive

• It requires a long lead time

• It provides extensive data

• It involves multiple spacecraft

When did the Enlight project officially begin?

• April 2025

• May 2023

• April 2026

• May 2024