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Planetary Radio • Jul 29, 2026

TERP RAPTOR: A student-built mission to asteroid Apophis

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On This Episode

Adrienne rudolph portrait

Adrienne Rudolph

Student Principal Investigator of the TERP RAPTOR mission, University of Maryland

Elena wu portrait

Elena Wu

Lead Project Manager of the TERP RAPTOR mission, University of Maryland

Tyler autrey portrait

Tyler Autrey

Mechanical / Structure / Materials Lead of the TERP RAPTOR mission, University of Maryland

Alexander williams portrait

Alexander Williams

Propulsion Lead of the TERP RAPTOR mission, University of Maryland

Bruce betts portrait hq library

Bruce Betts

Chief Scientist / LightSail Program Manager for The Planetary Society

Sarah al ahmed headshot

Sarah Al-Ahmed

Planetary Radio Host and Producer for The Planetary Society

On Friday, April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass closer to Earth than our geostationary satellites. While NASA, ESA, and JAXA are all sending missions, a team of students at the University of Maryland is building their own spacecraft to join the fleet. TERP RAPTOR is a CubeSat-based mission roughly the size of a microwave that aims to fly past the asteroid and snap images of its surface as it approaches Earth. Four members of the team join Planetary Radio: Adrienne Rudolph, the Student Principal Investigator; Elena Wu, the Lead Project Manager; Tyler Autrey, the Mechanical, Structure, and Materials Lead; and Alexander Williams, the Propulsion Lead. Together, they talk about how a graduate class project turned into a real mission, what they hope to learn about this potentially hazardous asteroid, and why they're not letting anyone tell them it can't be done.

Then, Bruce Betts joins us for What's Up, where we mark the deployment anniversary of The Planetary Society's own CubeSat-based solar sail mission, LightSail 2.

TERP RAPTOR mission patch
TERP RAPTOR mission patch The official mission patch for TERP RAPTOR features a raptor clutching asteroid Apophis against a starfield, with the Maryland state flag in the background. The patch bears the mission motto "Fearlessly Forward" and represents the University of Maryland's student-led CubeSat mission to image the asteroid during its historic close approach to Earth in 2029.Image: TERP RAPTOR / University of Maryland
TERP RAPTOR spacecraft rendering
TERP RAPTOR spacecraft rendering A preliminary rendering of the TERP RAPTOR CubeSat spacecraft. The compact body features solar cells on its upper surface and the Mantis camera visible on the forward face. The student-built spacecraft is roughly the size of a microwave and is designed to image asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in April 2029.Image: TERP RAPTOR / University of Maryland
TERP RAPTOR team
TERP RAPTOR team Members of the TERP RAPTOR team, from left to right: Sean Philips (former Lead Systems Engineer), Max Weinstock (Chief Engineer), Elena Wu (Lead Project Manager), Adrienne Rudolph (Student Principal Investigator), Professor Brent Barbee (Principal Investigator), and Josh Verma (Technical Media Lead).Image: Austin Desisto
TERP RAPTOR all-hands meeting
TERP RAPTOR all-hands meeting The TERP RAPTOR team gathered for an all-hands meeting at the University of Maryland. The team holds these meetings periodically to share major announcements and align the full group on mission progress. At any given time, the project includes 25 to 30 students spanning both the technical and administrative sides of the mission.Image: Austin Desisto

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