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ESA and JAXA Partner on Apophis Asteroid Mission

May 10, 2026

2 min read

Key Takeaways

ESA and JAXA finalize agreement on Apophis asteroid mission.
JAXA to provide solar arrays and thermal infrared imager instrument.
Mission to launch in 2028 on H3 rocket.
Aims to study asteroid during close flyby of Earth in 2029.

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Strategic Implications

This partnership may indicate growing international cooperation in space exploration and safety. The collaboration between ESA and JAXA suggests a shared interest in advancing asteroid research and mitigation strategies, which could have significant implications for the global space community.

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What Happened

International Cooperation Advances Space Safety and Exploration

The European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have finalized an agreement to collaborate on a mission to study the asteroid Apophis during its close flyby of Earth in 2029. The Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety, or Ramses, is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will be supported by JAXA’s provision of solar arrays and a thermal infrared imager instrument. The mission aims to provide detailed studies of near Earth asteroids and their behavior during close flybys. This development was first reported by SpaceNews.

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