NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft flew within 2,136 miles of Earth on Tuesday, Sept. 23, as part of its mission to study the near-Earth asteroid Apophis.
During its close approach, the spacecraft recorded images and data of Earth. These observations are being used to calibrate its science instruments. Approximately nine hours after passing by, OSIRIS-APEX was 142,000 miles from Earth and trave Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 26, 2025
NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft flew within 2,136 miles of Earth on Tuesday, Sept. 23, as part of its mission to study the near-Earth asteroid Apophis.
During its close approach, the spacecraft recorded images and data of Earth. These observations are being used to calibrate its science instruments. Approximately nine hours after passing by, OSIRIS-APEX was 142,000 miles from Earth and traveling farther into space. Australia is visible in one of the color composite images, created using six exposures from the MapCam instrument suite operated by the University of Arizona.
The spacecraft captured a video sequence from 424 individual images with its StowCam imager. The video shows the OSIRIS-APEX instrument panel while Earth appears in the background as the spacecraft moves above the Atlantic Ocean. South America is visible to the left side of the frame.
The StowCam was used during the original OSIRIS-REx mission to confirm the asteroid sample capsule from Bennu was secured for return to Earth. It now continues to record the instrument deck and equipment including the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter provided by the Canadian Space Agency, which mapped Bennu's surface.
After the flyby, OSIRIS-APEX also captured a dual exposure of the Moon and Earth, reflecting sunlight off the spacecraft's hardware in the foreground. This image was taken when the spacecraft was approximately 370,000 miles away. The flyby and calibrations prepare OSIRIS-APEX for its return to the Apophis encounter.
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