2029, April: Apophis will fly past Earth. This could potentially be dangerous to us. Measuring in at 300 meters in width (980 feet), the asteroid is said to be invading our territorial bubble at a distance closer then many communication satellites. Not good. Definitely not good. But fortunately, we have about a little more than two decades until that happens.

And we better make good use of that time lest we become just another sprinkle of dust in the universe. UK space scientists fully understand this, that's why they have thought of a way to get to know the enemy better. Through the Apex (Apophis Explorer), we earthlings could have a better understanding of the makeup of the asteroid: size, shape, color, spin, composition, and temperature.

Although doomsday speculations have already been refuted regarding Apophis, it still would do us well not to be complacent and take any chances. The prediction that the Apophis asteroid will zoom past Earth only at 36,000 km at most is devoid of certainty, and as such must be closely looked into. The Apex could be just the key to the asteroid's mystery. With the remote-sensing aircraft able to get close enough to the asteroid, data could be picked up, sent back to Earth and then analyzed. From there, we can then have the homecourt advantage.

But the Apex is nothing but a mere concept as of yet. And you can say it is one heck of a brilliant idea it is - with a price tag of £ 25,000 (US$ 50,000). You can only imagine how much more it'll cost once the mission gets the green light. Then again, I guess we shouldn't mind shelling out millions of dollars if it means saving ourselves, right?

Thanks to G.C for the tip!