ESA-JAXA Ramses powers up ahead of 2029 asteroid encounter

ESA and JAXA’s Ramses spacecraft has completed its first integrated switch-on. The mission aims to observe asteroid Apophis during its close Earth encounter in 2029, but major testing and launch preparation remain.

The Ramses planetary defence spacecraft has been powered on as an integrated system for the first time, marking a major step in its fast development schedule. It is a mission led by the European Space Agency with Japan’s space agency JAXA.

Ramses is being prepared to meet the asteroid Apophis during its unusually close pass by Earth on April 13, 2029. The spacecraft must launch in spring 2028 on Japan’s H3 rocket to reach the asteroid in time.

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