ESA and JAXA Seal Ramses Collaboration to Study Apophis Before the 2029 Flyby

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have formalized a Ramses collaboration to study asteroid Apophis during its 2029 Earth flyby: Ramses is set to launch in 2028 on an H3 rocket, with JAXA supplying solar arrays and a thermal infrared imager and OHB Italia as prime contractor. The mission would reach Apophis in February 2029, about two months before its close approach to Earth at roughly 32,000 kilometers, enabling detailed observations of the asteroid’s surface and the flyby’s gravitational effects for science and planetary defense insights.