ALE'S Mass Driver Experiment: Investigating Apophis Surface Dynamics for Planetary Defense and Resource Utilization

Introduction: Asteroid (99942) Apophis’ Earth flyby in 2029 presents a unique opportunity to investigate how its surface material behaves under gravitational and external force influences. The ExLabs-led ApophisExL mission integrates multiple scientific payloads to analyze Apophis' physical and compositional evolution. ALE’s mass driver experiment contributes to this initiative by studying regolith displacement, impact physics, and surface material ejection in low-gravity conditions. Understanding how Apophis’ surface reacts to controlled impacts is crucial for planetary defense and asteroid resource utilization (ISRU). The ALE’s experiment, which aims at very low-speed impacts with no consequences on Apophis orbit, will provide essential data on impact dynamics, aiding future asteroid landing missions and planetary defense modeling.

ALE’s Background and Mission: ALE’s vision is” Anchor space into our culture to empower humankind to new endeavors.” ALE's mission is to "Make space closer. For all of us. Together.". Since 2011, ALE has developed artificial meteor technology, initially for space entertainment but increasingly for scientific applications. ALE’s expertise in controlled material release in space has expanded into atmospheric data collection, supporting climate research and re-entry modeling. ALE’s mission for this experiment is titled "ALE’s Low-Energy Multi-Impact Experiment (ALEMIE)". The experiment builds upon ALE’s artificial meteor technology, which involves the controlled release of metallic particles from satellites, mimicking natural meteors to create luminous trails in the atmosphere. The artificial meteor generation device (Ishius) used in this process has been modified for deployment aboard the ExLabs ApophisExL mission.

ApophisExL Mission and ALE’s Role: Apophis’ 2029 flyby will likely induce surface modifications due to tidal forces. The ApophisExL mission, led by ExLabs, incorporates multiple scientific payloads to monitor these changes. ALE contributes by deploying a mass driver system to conduct controlled very low speed impact experiments on Apophis’ surface.

The operational flow of ALE’s mission is as follows:

• Selection of impact sites based on surface conditions observed by other missions.
• Coordination with spacecraft orbital and attitude control to execute the impact experiment.
• Observation of generated craters and internal structures using imaging instruments from collaborating missions.

ALE’s release mechanism is specifically designed to create small craters, with subsequent analysis conducted in collaboration with external observation instruments. The impact experiments are scheduled for post-Earth closest approach, aligning with other mission timelines. Given the importance of mission coordination, open discussions and adjustments with other Apophis space mission teams will be essential.

Mass Driver System Overview: ALE’s mass driver system leverages technology from its artificial meteor project. It is compact, lightweight, and designed for controlled impact experiments.

Experiment and Expected Outcomes: The mass driver experiment will (1) analyze regolith displacement and ejection patterns, (2) assess surface cohesion and regional variability, (3) validate non-contact sampling techniques, and (4) support planetary defense research.

With collaborative observations using high-speed cameras and spectrometric sensors, the experiment will capture real-time regolith motion and surface alterations. These insights are crucial for modeling asteroid evolution and supporting future asteroid deflection missions.

This study ensures the impact experiments do not alter Apophis' orbit, maintaining mission integrity while contributing to planetary defense and ISRU research. ALE’s mass driver experiment is an innovative application of artificial meteor technology, contributing to asteroid science and planetary defense [3].

Our findings support: Planetary defense (impact modeling and risk mitigation), Asteroid resource utilization (ISRU) (surface excavation and material characterization), Future deep-space exploration (asteroid landing and mission planning).