NASA's OSIRIS-APEX Captures Stunning Earth and Moon Images

NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft has recently captured stunning images of Earth and the Moon during its flyby on September 23, 2025. The spacecraft flew just 2,136 miles, or 3,438 kilometers, above Earth's surface, showcasing swirling clouds over the planet's blue oceans and glimpses of continents below.

The following day, OSIRIS-APEX took a dramatic shot of the Moon from roughly 370,000 miles, or 595,000 kilometers, away. These images mark a significant milestone for the mission, confirming the operational status of its cameras and instruments after years in deep space.

OSIRIS-APEX, short for "Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Apophis Explorer," is part of the second phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission, which successfully returned a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu in 2023.

After that mission, NASA redirected the spacecraft toward asteroid Apophis, known for its metal-rich composition that contrasts with Bennu's carbon-rich materials. Apophis will make a close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, coming within 19,000 miles of the planet, closer than many satellites.

This close encounter offers a unique opportunity to study how Earth's gravity might affect the asteroid, potentially reshaping its surface or altering its orbit. OSIRIS-APEX is set to arrive at Apophis shortly after its 2029 flyby, making it the first mission to document an asteroid's response during a close planetary pass.

Once in orbit around Apophis, the spacecraft will spend about 18 months mapping the asteroid, studying its composition, and capturing high-resolution images. Mission planners aim to hover a few meters above the surface and utilize the spacecraft's thrusters to stir up dust, revealing previously hidden materials.

The Earth images were captured using the spacecraft's MapCam imager, which utilizes red, green, and blue filters, along with StowCam, which is capable of both still and video imagery. The OSIRIS-APEX mission is a collaboration involving NASA, the University of Arizona, and Lockheed Martin, emphasizing the importance of ongoing exploration and scientific discovery within our solar system.