On April 13, 2029—yes, a Friday—an asteroid the size of the Eiffel Tower will pass so close to Earth that it will fly beneath our orbiting satellites.
Its name is Apophis, and the near-miss will be visible to the naked eye across parts of the globe. For a few days, it will shine as one of the brightest objects in the sky.
Astronomers, engineers, and science communicators agree: this is a once-in-7,500-year event.
And yet, as of today, the only spacecraft designed to meet Apophis—OSIRIS-Apex—is slated for cancellation.
What’s at Stake?
The Apophis flyby is not just a cool night-sky event. Earth’s gravitational field will physically tug and stretch the asteroid, offering scientists a rare chance to study its interior structure in real-time.
This is critical knowledge for planetary defense—our ability to one day deflect a dangerous asteroid depends not only on seeing it coming, but understanding what it’s made of inside.
“Nature is handing us an incredibly rare experiment,” said MIT asteroid expert Richard Binzel.
️ The Mission That’s Already En Route
NASA originally planned to reuse the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft (which collected samples from asteroid Bennu in 2020) to rendezvous with Apophis after the flyby. Renamed OSIRIS-Apex, the spacecraft is already on its way, ready for a second mission.
It’s not just feasible—it’s cost-effective. Operating Apex costs about $14.5 million a year, less than 0.1% of NASA’s annual budget. Yet the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal eliminates Apex with a single sentence and no justification.
In a decade where space junk, solar threats, and cosmic debris are real policy concerns, this is baffling.
️ Planetary Defense: A Fragile System
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) is tasked with detecting, tracking, and ultimately planning for threats like Apophis. It was only founded in 2016 and has long operated on a shoestring budget.
Its responsibilities include:
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Cataloging near-Earth objects (NEOs).
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Supporting missions like DART, which proved we can alter an asteroid’s path.
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Preparing the NEO Surveyor, a space telescope to find more potential threats.
But this is still a young and underfunded program. As noted in a recent NASA Inspector General report, planetary defense lacks resources, coordination, and long-term support.
The World Is Watching
The European Space Agency may attempt a backup mission (code-named Ramses), and Japan’s Destiny+ probe might manage a flyby. Even private actors like Jared Isaacman have shown interest in funding something last-minute.
But none are in a better position than OSIRIS-Apex—which already exists, is flying in the right direction, and just needs continued funding to complete its job.
“To turn it off would be an incredible waste of resources,” said Binzel.
️ What the Public Thinks
The article in ARS Technica that broke this story has sparked a firestorm of commentary:
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“$14.5 million? That’s like three trips to a golf course on AF1.”
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“We have the spacecraft. It’s already en route. And we’re turning it off?”
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“This is how civilizations fail—not with a bang, but with a budget line item.”
You don’t have to be a scientist to see the irony. We spent decades preparing for a threat from the sky—and just when we get our shot to learn what we need, we pull the plug.
Echoes of Red Sky
In my novel Red Sky, there’s a moment when the public becomes aware that something strange is approaching Earth. Some see it as a sign. Some ignore it. Some in power choose to suppress the truth rather than fund the investigation.
Sound familiar?
It’s easy to think of planetary threats as fiction. But Apophis is very real. And this time, the ending is still up to us.
Final Thoughts
Let’s hope Congress restores the OSIRIS-Apex mission. Let’s hope science prevails over short-term politics. Let’s hope that when nature hands us a cosmic test, we don’t flunk it because of paperwork.
The sky is speaking. Are we listening?
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