TERP RAPTOR: A University-Led SmallSat Flyby Mission to Investigate Asteroid Apophis

The ~350-meter diameter Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) designated 99942 Apophis 2004 MN4 will make a historic close approach of Earth on April 13th, 2029, passing within ~31,634 km of Earth’s surface, closer than our geosynchronous satellites. Suggested to be a 1 in 7500-year event, this is an extraordinarily unique opportunity for collecting data on an Apophis-sized asteroid experiencing the effects of Earth’s gravitational field. Our Terrapin Engineered Rideshare Probe for Rapid-response asteroid Apophis Profiling, Tracking, Observing, and Reconnaissance (TERP RAPTOR) is a low-cost, Earth-orbiting mission concept in which a 12U CubeSat designed and built by University of Maryland students would perform a flyby of Apophis, collecting data to address science questions regarding the asteroid’s collisions and dynamical evolution, its surface and structural characteristics, and the effects of close proximity to Earth’s gravitational field. This mission also supports planetary defense objectives by advancing our understanding of several hundred meter size silicaceous asteroids, and the impact risks they pose to Earth.