NASA Plans Swarm of Spacecraft to Explore Apophis Asteroid

NASA is considering the idea of creating a fleet of small private spacecraft to observe the asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in 2029. The agency's OSIRIS-APEX mission will also study the asteroid. The fleet of spacecraft could be useful for future planetary defense efforts. The idea is still in the mission concept stage with no budgetary funding, but the 2022 Decadal Survey recommended a "rapid reconnaissance" mission. The Biden administration has also prioritized preventing near-Earth object impacts.