The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The asteroid takes about two years to circle the Sun. The next close approach to our planet will be on 29 March 2013, to within a safe distance of about 15 million km, or about a tenth of the distance to the Sun. A much closer passage is predicted for 2098, when the asteroid will fly by at about 6 million km. This is twice the distance it was predicted to have before its re-discovery.