A trio of missions are on track to intercept and study the near-Earth asteroid Apophis during its close encounter with our planet in 2029.
The 1,100-foot-wide (340 meters) asteroid Apophis, nicknamed the “God of Chaos,” is set for a close but non-threatening brush with Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029. Space agencies worldwide are preparing to make the most of this rare opportunity.
Ramses (short for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety), a European Space Agency (ESA) project based on the Hera mission, is progressing well, according to Monica Lazzarin, a professor at the University of Padua in Italy. Lazzarin presented updates at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) and Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) in Helsinki on Sept. 8. Scheduled to launch in spring 2028, Ramses aims to closely study Apophis’ orbit, rotation, internal structure, and surface, as well as how Earth’s tidal forces affect the asteroid.
The mission still awaits final funding approval from ESA’s Ministerial Council in Bremen, Germany, this November. If confirmed, Ramses will carry two cubesats, one of which could land on Apophis with a navigation camera, seismometer, and magnetometer. JAXA will contribute with a thermal infrared camera and instruments for collaboration.
Meanwhile, JAXA’s DESTINY+ mission, initially delayed due to rocket development issues, will also encounter Apophis before heading to its final target, asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Lazzarin added that Ramses will launch with DESTINY+ on Japan’s flagship H3 rocket.
NASA is contributing with OSIRIS-APEX, an extended mission following its asteroid Bennu project. Deputy principal investigator Michael Nolan confirmed preparations for Apophis, though funding remains uncertain after previous budget cuts. Despite challenges, the mission team continues planning for the 2029 encounter.
Together, Ramses, DESTINY+, and OSIRIS-APEX will provide unprecedented data about Apophis and its historic flyby. Mission teams are coordinating observations to maximize scientific results.
“The spacecraft have different strengths,” Nolan explained. “By coordinating, we can achieve more than working separately.”
On April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass Earth closer than geosynchronous satellites. In addition to the spacecraft observations, about 2 billion people will be able to witness the asteroid with the naked eye.
