ESA-JAXA Ramses mission to Apophis 2029
Key Questions
What is the Ramses mission to Apophis?
ESA and JAXA are jointly developing Ramses to launch in April 2028 and study the asteroid before its 2029 Earth flyby at 32,000 km. The mission will examine shape, structure, and gravitational effects.
How does Ramses complement other Apophis missions?
It works alongside NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft and follows 2026 near-Earth object alerts for asteroid 2026 JH2. Data will improve planetary defense models.
Why is the 2029 Apophis flyby significant?
The close approach at 32,000 km offers a rare opportunity to observe tidal and gravitational interactions with Earth. Ramses will arrive in advance to collect pre-flyby measurements.
Joint mission launching Apr 2028 to study Apophis pre-flyby shape, structure, gravity effects during 32k km Earth pass. Complements OSIRIS-APEX and 2026 JH2 alerts.
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Updated May 23, 2026