ESA and JAXA Unite on Ramses: A Historic Mission to Study Apophis and Boost Planetary Defense

ESA and JAXA signed an agreement to launch the Ramses mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, with a planned 2028 launch and a 2029 rendezvous during its close Earth flyby at about 32,000 km. The mission aims to study how Apophis behaves under Earth's gravity and to collect data that could improve asteroid deflection and monitoring strategies, informing future planetary-defense efforts. ESA will lead spacecraft design and operations, JAXA will contribute lightweight solar arrays and an infrared imager, and ESA’s NEO Coordination Centre will refine orbital predictions ahead of the flyby. This collaboration showcases international partnership as a cornerstone of global space safety.”,