After threats of mission cancellation, the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft received a last-minute $20 million allocation in the House budget bill to continue basic operations for the next fiscal year.
The mission is slated to observe the quarter-mile-wide (400-meter) asteroid Apophis, which was once believed to pose a minor threat to Earth during an upcoming close encounter in 2029.
While OSIRIS-APEX’s 2026-27 operations are secure, Congress requires a review of NASA funding every year.
This means the mission, along with other NASA projects, will be reconsidered for funding in the next fiscal year.
“Congress recognized the value of keeping our healthy spacecraft and instruments operational as we cruise toward Apophis,” DellaGiustina said.
At least for the upcoming year, NASA will proceed with its plans to fly a spaceship next to a potentially dangerous asteroid in 2029.
The House budget bill included a last-minute $20 million allocation for the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft to continue basic operations for the upcoming fiscal year, following threats of mission cancellation. the outcomes of 18 additional NASA missions that are scheduled to cease operations in October. 1 are still unknown, though, because of the government shutdown.
In an email to Live Science, Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, principal investigator of OSIRIS-APEX at the University of Arizona, said, “We were incredibly relieved and grateful.”. The announcement was initially made in October. 7 during a National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences meeting, according to Ars Technica.
“Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security — Apophis Explorer” is what OSIRIS-APEX stands for. Apophis, a 400-meter (quarter-mile) asteroid that was formerly thought to be a minor threat to Earth, will be observed by the mission during a planned close encounter in 2029.
Fortunately, additional observations revealed that Apophis, named after an ancient Egyptian god linked to chaos, will instead pass Earth without incident. Nevertheless, it will be extremely close; at about 22,000 miles (36,000 km) away, its trajectory will place it inside the orbit of geostationary satellites, possibly allowing for visual observation. A direct impact in the far future is still possible, though, as Apophis periodically passes through our planet’s path.
Using the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which captured a tiny sample of the asteroid Bennu in 2020 and returned the valuable dust to Earth in a separate return capsule, OSIRIS-APEX gathers vital data about our early solar system. NASA and DellaGiustina have stressed that using an existing space mission to observe Apophis will be less expensive than launching a new one, and the core spacecraft is still in good condition.
According to DellaGiustina, “Apophis is one of the most compelling near-Earth asteroids we’ve ever discovered,”. We have a rare chance to learn how close planetary flybys alter small bodies, from rotation and orbital changes to seismic shaking and surface landslides, by observing Apophis both during and after its encounter with Earth. “.
However, as part of massive budget cuts that would see the agency’s budget slashed by nearly 25 percent, from $24 billion to $18 billion, the Trump administration listed OSIRIS-APEX as one of 19 NASA missions they planned to cancel in May. The remaining 18 missions’ fates are still unknown; the U. A. Since October, there has been no government activity. 1 following Washington, D.C. lawmakers. couldn’t agree on the fiscal budget for this year.
Although OSIRIS-APEX operations in 2026–2027 are safe, Congress mandates an annual review of NASA funding. As a result, the mission and other NASA initiatives will be reevaluated for funding in the upcoming fiscal year.
Della Giustina expressed her optimism that the funding will continue. The Arizona congressional delegation, especially Sen. A former astronaut for NASA, Mark Kelly (D), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R) is a University of Arizona alumnus who led OSIRIS-APEX and OSIRIS-REx.
According to DellaGiustina, “Congress recognized the value of keeping our healthy spacecraft and instruments operational as we cruise toward Apophis.”. Although it doesn’t ensure funding in subsequent years, it keeps us going and gives us a chance to conduct this once-in-a-lifetime event. “,”.
Science is at risk for the future.
It’s not all positive news, even though the team was relieved to receive the funding. The science team did not receive any funding for active research this year, which means that mission managers — and the early-career researchers they mentor, such as students — cannot do analysis, planning or mission science.
“Having to pause their participation for a year or more is disheartening,” Della Giustina said. Mentorship within the team would benefit the space community, according to the 2022 senior review of the NASA mission, a community effort conducted approximately every three years to assess the benefits of scientific research.
The senior review said, “This long-duration mission presented an effective professional development plan, which would transition junior scientists into more senior roles as the mission progresses.” It also mentioned that DellaGiustina and the majority of OSIRIS-APEX’s senior leadership rose through the ranks from earlier, junior roles on OSIRIS-REx.
For their part, the senior review team praised the two missions’ scientific productivity in 2022, identifying at least 137 papers that “reveal significant discoveries and insights into the structure and evolution of a small asteroid.” The missions continue to produce science papers annually. “.”.
