KASI TO STUDY ANOTHER ASTEROID

[Anchor Lead]

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute is taking part in an asteroid deflection experiment led by NASA. The project’s success will be determined in next September. But KASI plans to propose to NASA to jointly study another asteroid that comes very near Earth in 2029.

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On November 23rd, NASA launched a spacecraft that will crash into an asteroid. Its mission is to slam into the smaller one of the two asteroids, which will be at their closest point to Earth at 11 million kilometers by the end of next September, and force it out of orbit. This experiment is to find out whether Earth can be saved from a possible impact with an asteroid.

[Soundbite] Elena Adams(DART Engineer)

KASI is also taking part in this project at NASA’s request. KASI will keep track of the 160-meter wide asteroid through a telescope set up at Korea's Bohyeonsan Mountain.

[Soundbite] Moon Hong-kyu(Space Exploration Group Leader, KASI) : "We measure the flash that erupts right after the crash and then how much the two asteroids’ orbits change afterward."

KASI is also planning another experiment. The target is another asteroid called Apophis with a diameter of 370 meters that will come within 32,000 km of Earth on April 13th, 2029, which is very rare for such a massive object.

[Soundbite] Choi Young-jun(Senior Researcher, KASI) : "KASI plans to propose working with NASA on Apophis. Within the agencies, we already see the need to work together."

KASI says it will propose the European Space Agency to jointly study Apophis’ close approach to Earth as part of defense efforts against near-Earth objects.