Europe and Japan Launch Joint Mission to Study Asteroid Apophis Before 2029 Earth Flyby

Historic Partnership Forms for Planetary Defense

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have formalized a groundbreaking partnership in planetary defense, signing agreements on May 7 at the Embassy of Italy in Berlin that will launch a joint mission to study asteroid Apophis before its historic close approach to Earth in 2029. The collaboration includes both a broader Memorandum of Cooperation on planetary defense and a specific agreement for the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses).

Under the partnership, JAXA will contribute lightweight solar array wings, a thermal infrared imager, and launch services aboard its H3 rocket, while ESA oversees spacecraft design, integration, and operations. This collaboration brings together JAXA's hard-won expertise from the Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 sample-return missions, which successfully visited and returned material from asteroids Itokawa and Ryugu.

Apophis Offers Unprecedented Scientific Opportunity

Roughly 375 meters across, Apophis will pass just 32,000 kilometers above Earth's surface on Friday, April 13, 2029—one-tenth the distance to the Moon and closer than satellites in geosynchronous orbits. While there is no risk of impact, the flyby is extraordinarily rare, occurring only once every 5,000 to 10,000 years for an object of this size.

Ramses will accompany Apophis throughout the flyby, observing how Earth's gravity alters its shape, surface and motion, with scientists gaining insights into asteroid structure, composition and behavior that will be important for any future deflection efforts. As ESA noted, "for the first time ever, nature is bringing an asteroid to us and conducting the experiment itself."

The mission is expected to launch between mid-April and mid-May 2028, arriving at Apophis in February 2029 before the asteroid's closest approach to Earth. The tight timeline leaves almost no margin for political delay, as the mission must launch in a narrow window to arrive with weeks to spare before the flyby.

Building on Proven Planetary Defense Success

The partnership builds on existing collaboration through ESA's Hera planetary defense mission, where JAXA serves as an important partner studying the Didymos binary asteroid system to help turn asteroid deflection by kinetic impact into a reliable technique for protecting our planet. The Ramses spacecraft design borrows heavily from ESA's Hera spacecraft, which launched in 2024 and was built in roughly four years from contract signature to launch—itself a record for an ESA deep-space mission.

As JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa emphasized, planetary defense "is a challenge affecting every human and living being on Earth" that "brings together the international community to detect and characterize near-Earth objects early, track their trajectories, assess impact risks, and develop mitigation strategies if needed."

Global Cooperation for Universal Protection

The United Nations has designated 2029 as the "International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence," highlighting the global significance of this mission. ESA and JAXA have framed their partnership as a deliberate institutional answer to planetary defense as a global responsibility requiring concrete implementation beyond shared intention.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher highlighted how the collaboration reflects shared commitment to space safety, stating that "in an increasingly complex environment, international cooperation remains a cornerstone of Europe's approach to space" and that "together, ESA and JAXA are showing how reliable partners turn ambition into action for the benefit of all."

The Ramses mission represents more than scientific curiosity—it's a practical investment in humanity's ability to protect itself from cosmic threats. As Earth prepares for Apophis's 2029 visit, this joint mission will provide crucial data that could prove essential for defending our planet against future asteroid impacts.