RAMSES Mission Overview
RAMSES will rendezvous with the asteroid 99942 Apophis and accompany it through its safe but exceptionally close flyby of Earth in 2029. Preparatory work for ESA's Space Safety Program on RAMSES was approved in July 2024. In Spring 2025, ESA selected two CubeSats to fly onboard and be deployed at the asteroid. The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) joined the mission in August 2025, contributing the probe's solar arrays, infrared imager, and a rideshare launch on their H3 rocket. RAMSES will share its launch with the JAXA mission DESTINY+. The mission was accepted and funding approved during ESA's Ministerial Council meeting in late November 2025. RAMSES is scheduled to launch in April 2028 with an arrival at asteroid Apophis in February 2029.
The CHANCES camera, developed here at the University of Bern, was selected as a "payload of opportunity" by ESA in April, 2025 and will sit on RAMSES' main body.
Background
Mission Background – The Asteroid Apophis
Asteroid 99942 Apophis is an asteroid roughly 375 m across which will pass less than 32,000 km from Earth's surface on April 13, 2029. For a short time, it will be closer to Earth than the satellites in geostationary orbit and will be visible in the night sky to the naked eye from parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
Initial observations after its discovery in 2004 at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in the USA indicated a small chance that Apophis could impact Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068. Later observations ruled out a potential impact for at least the next 100 years. Although it poses no risk to Earth during the 2029 flyby, Apophis offers a unique chance to study such a large asteroid up close and better prepare a response to any future asteroids that would pose a risk to Earth.
Due to its proximity to Earth during the approach, the tidal forces will deform the asteroid, affect its rotation and possibly trigger small dust avalanches, exposing material from its interior to the surface that would otherwise have remained hidden. This rare close approach therefore offers researchers the opportunity to examine in detail the physical properties and potential changes at the surface of the asteroid.
Mission Profile
RAMSES Mission Profile
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| Close Proximity Operations |
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