UK plan to track asteroid threat

[Rick]

UK space scientists and engineers have designed a mission to investigate a potentially hazardous asteroid.

The 300m-wide (1,000ft) rock, known as Apophis, will fly past Earth in April 2029 at a distance that is closer than many communications satellites.

Astrium, based in Stevenage, Herts, wants a probe to track the asteroid so its orbit can be better understood.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6971216.stm

...and, for a slightly different slant: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/31/apophis_tracking/