Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar: Special Seminar

Abstract:

In 2004, an asteroid the size of five football fields was discovered and thought to be on a path to impact Earth. It was named Apophis, after the god of Chaos, for its potential to cause widespread global devastation.

Subsequent observations have shown that Apophis will barely miss hitting Earth, but on April 13, 2029, it will come so close to Earth's surface that more than a billion people will see it with the naked eye, shining as brightly as a star moving rapidly across the sky. The event will be the closest flyby of an asteroid in recorded history.

Professor Andrade will preview for us a mission to seize this opportunity and conduct an expedition to the surface and interior of Apophis. The mission will return data critical to developing a strategy to mitigate the future threat of an asteroid impacting our home planet.