PASADENA, Calif., April 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has confirmed its estimate of a very low probability for an Earth impact by the asteroid Apophis in 2036.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory estimates there is only a 1 in 45,000 probability of such a collision.

NASA said it issued a statement after news reports in which a young German student predicted the Apophis impact probability is far higher than NASA's estimate.

"This student's conclusion reportedly is based on the possibility of a collision with an artificial satellite during the asteroid's close approach in April 2029," NASA said.

Depending on how its orbit would be modified by a 2029 satellite collision, it could pass Earth at a much farther distance in 2036 or even come closer to our planet, NASA said, but officials noted the chance of a collision with a satellite is "infinitesimally small."

"Therefore, consideration of this satellite collision scenario does not affect the current impact probability estimate for Apophis, which remains at 1 in 45,000," officials said.