TUCSON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Arizona-Led NASA Mission Is In Jeopardy

For decades now, Arizona has sat at the forefront of space exploration. From discovering Pluto, to testing extraplanetary surfaces on our grounds, Arizona has as much claim to be the "Space State" as Florida and Texas.

An upcoming project from the University of Arizona may have put us in the forefront, but it's at serious risk.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

In 2023, researchers at the University of Arizona launched the OSIRIS-REx. This was a satellite that rendezvoused with the asteroid Bennu and returned with samples that greatly helped our understanding of the cosmos.

Now, that craft has been repurposed into the OSIRIS-APEX, a much more advanced satellite that is scheduled to meet with the asteroid Apophis in 2029. The asteroid is expected to make a close call with earth, giving the team a chance to study how the Earth's gravity affects the interior and exterior of these celestial bodies.

Is Your Home About to be Overrun by Rats?

Get our free mobile app

Tucson, We Have a Problem...

Unfortunately, this project may never see the stars. This mission is one of the 19 NASA projects that are on the chopping block for the 2026 budget, meaning the millions of dollars poured into the project may go to waste.

Principal Researcher Dani DellaGiustina believes this project may be vital to planetary defense from asteroids that are put on a collision course, but their work will not be able to be finished. The project itself cost around $200 Million, with $75 Million of that coming directly from Arizona. Cancellation could have devastating effects on Tucson's economy, as well as research as a whole at the University of Arizona.

[KGUN9]