Russian scientists suggest changing the trajectory of movement Apophis using another asteroid 
Photo from open sources PHOTO: NASA Asteroid Apophis, which yesterday flew at a distance of 14.46 million km from Earth, remains the most dangerous for our planet. Worldwide specialists are trying find ways to protect her from a potential threat from space. Russian scientists propose to bring down dangerous celestial bodies with dangerous orbit by small asteroid impacts. Relevant Report will be presented in April at a planetary defense conference in US state of Arizona. “The trick is that in order to change the trajectory of this in the desired direction an asteroid – “shell”, a gravitational maneuver near the Earth is used. FROM using the gravitational maneuver, you can get an increase in speed to three kilometers per second despite the fact that for the conclusion to the trajectory of such a maneuver you need to add an asteroid only 2.5 meters per second, ” – explained RIA “Novosti” one of the authors of the project, a leading scientific researcher at the Space Research Institute (IKI) RAS Nathan Aismont. Experts suggest launching on the Soyuz rocket a lighthouse to be put on Apophis is a project of such a lighthouse are being developed at IKI and at the Lavochkin NGO. The second apparatus is engine for the “shell” – will be launched on the “Proton”. As “shell” is proposed asteroid 2011 UK10. According to calculations, to knock Apophis off the trajectory in June 2027, the engine should launch into space in December 2021, and its landing on a “shell” due in August 2022. Next time Apophis will approach the Earth in April 2029, passing from it at a distance about 36 thousand km, that is, almost at the height of the orbits geostationary satellites. Scientists fear that in the immediate proximity to our planet, he is able to change his orbit so way, that in 2036, at the next approach to the Earth, run into her. “It’s really dangerous for the Earth because if the asteroid falls to its surface – and it will fall from at a speed of at least 16 kilometers per second, then from one of it the fall of energy will be like from the fall of thousands of atomic bombs, a huge amount of dust will rise into the atmosphere, “- explained Head of Laboratory, State Astronomical Institute Moscow State University Mikhail Prokhorov. The day before, scientists found that Apophis is 75% heavier and 20% larger in diameter than previously thought. Originally experts believed that the diameter of the potential killer of the Earth is 270 plus or minus 60 meters. Data obtained by the telescope of the European Herschel Space Agency, show that this quantity is at least 325 meters.
Daria SHEREMETYEVA
