| Apex would spend three years studying the space rock 
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UK space scientists and engineers have designed a mission to investigate a potentially hazardous asteroid. The 300m-wide (980ft) rock, known as Apophis, will fly past Earth in April 2029 at a distance that is closer than many communications satellites. Astrium, based in Stevenage, Herts, wants a probe to track the asteroid so its orbit can be better understood. The concept will compete for a $50,000 (£25,000) Planetary Society prize, but a full mission would cost millions. The British design calls for a small, remote-sensing spacecraft, dubbed Apex (Apophis Explorer), which could rendezvous with Apophis in January 2014. It would then spend the next three years tracking the rock, sending data back to Earth about the object's size, shape, spin, composition and temperature. From this information, orbit modelling would enable a more accurate prediction of the risk of any future collision. Source : BBC Science Online
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