Story perspectives

ESA, JAXA team up for 2028 Ramses Apophis mission

5/11/2026

Summary

Story summary

ESA and JAXA signed a cooperation agreement for the Rapid Apophis Mission (Ramses) on May 7 in Berlin.
JAXA will supply solar arrays and a thermal infrared imager as Ramses launches on a JAXA H3 rocket in April 2028 and reaches Apophis in February 2029, two months before its 32,000-km Earth flyby.
The mission timeline includes NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX arriving after the flyby, China proposing a CROWN/Apophis mission, and ExLabs and HEO floating concepts.

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Story summary

ESA and JAXA signed a cooperation agreement for the Rapid Apophis Mission (Ramses) on May 7 in Berlin.
JAXA will supply solar arrays and a thermal infrared imager as Ramses launches on a JAXA H3 rocket in April 2028 and reaches Apophis in February 2029, two months before its 32,000-km Earth flyby.
The mission timeline includes NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX arriving after the flyby, China proposing a CROWN/Apophis mission, and ExLabs and HEO floating concepts.