NASA's OSIRIS-APEX Spacecraft Captures Stunning Earth Images

NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft recently captured stunning images of Earth during a high-speed slingshot maneuver on September 23, 2025. The spacecraft flew just 2,136 miles, or 3,438 kilometers, above the planet's surface, showcasing breathtaking views of swirling clouds over oceans and continents below.

The following day, OSIRIS-APEX took a dramatic image of the moon from approximately 370,000 miles, or 595,000 kilometers, away. This mission, short for 'Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Apophis Explorer,' is pivotal as it propels the probe toward the infamous asteroid Apophis.

OSIRIS-APEX is the successor to the OSIRIS-REx mission, which successfully returned a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu in 2023. NASA has charted a new path for OSIRIS-APEX towards Apophis, a stony, metal-rich near-Earth asteroid that presents a stark contrast to the carbon-rich Bennu.

The images captured by OSIRIS-APEX confirm that the spacecraft's cameras and instruments are fully functional after years in deep space. The slingshot maneuver was designed to utilize Earth’s gravity to accelerate OSIRIS-APEX towards its target, which will make a close pass by Earth on April 13, 2029.

During this encounter, Apophis will come closer to our planet than many satellites, potentially allowing Earth's tidal forces to reshape the asteroid's surface, alter its spin, or even shift its orbit.

Upon arrival, OSIRIS-APEX will become the first mission to document how an asteroid behaves during such a close planetary flyby. The spacecraft is expected to spend approximately 18 months in orbit around Apophis, mapping the asteroid's surface, studying its composition, and capturing high-resolution imagery.

Mission planners also intend to hover a few meters above Apophis's surface and fire the probe's thrusters to stir up dust, potentially revealing previously hidden material. The images were taken using the MapCam imager, which features red, green, and blue filters, alongside StowCam, designed for both still and video imagery, ensuring safe storage of collected asteroid samples.

The significance of this mission underscores the technological advancements in space exploration and the vital importance of gathering visual data from our planet and beyond. The findings from OSIRIS-APEX could provide crucial insights into asteroid dynamics and the nature of these celestial bodies.