A large asteroid approximately 330 meters long is heading for Earth in early December, according to NASA’s asteroid tracker.
This is fortunate, as an impact from an asteroid of such a size could be devastating.
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But what makes Nereus stand out among other asteroids is not its size or the possibility of it causing a planetary impact, but rather its potential for exploration.
As an Apollo-class asteroid, Nereus’s orbit frequently puts it close to Earth. In fact, its orbital resonance is approximately 2:1. This means that a mission to explore the asteroid is very feasible.
As delta-v can be used as a budget of sorts when determining how much force and propellant is needed for a mission, a lower delta-v value cold indicate a cheaper and more easy mission, as it could mean less is needed.
No missions are currently known to be ready to explore Nereus, however it has been considered before. Both NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous-Shoemaker (NEAR) robotic mission and the Japanese Hayabusa mission considered Nereus as targets, but both eventually chose other options.
Nonetheless, it is still an attractive target for many.
The asteroid is set to return 12 more times in the coming decades, but its closest approach is slated for February 14, 2060, when it will be just under 1.2 million kilometers away.
Asteroid exploration is a major field in astronomy, and many space agencies have expressed interest in exploring the many large objects in the solar system.
Tentatively set to launch in 2028 with a seven-year development time for the spacecraft, the mission will see the UAE explore the planet Venus, as well as seven asteroids, culminating in a planned landing on an asteroid itself in 2033 after a five-year journey.
Three nations have landed on asteroids in the past, and many see them as possible sources for future mining operations, as these asteroids can be rich in raw materials.
Indeed, Nereus is no exception, with its spectral type indicating that it likely contains cobalt, nickel and iron.
Regardless of the potential though, many are also rightly worried about the dangers of near-Earth asteroids, as impacts can be devastating and humanity currently lacks an adequate means of defending against them.
One method for possibly stopping the impact of an asteroid is through the use of deflection, which would mean launching something to slightly alter an asteroid’s path.
In layman’s terms, it means punching an asteroid with a rocket with enough speed to change its direction by a fraction of a percent.
However, other measures have also been considered, such as disruption, meaning destroying the asteroid, but at this time, these remain hypothetical.