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Japan's contributions to Ramses
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Japan's contributions to Ramses

02/07/2026 33 views 2 likes 523591 ID

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have teamed up to fly the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses) to rendezvous with the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, which passes by our planet in April 2029.

TIRI – Developed by Meisei and supplied by JAXA, Ramses’ Thermal Infrared Imager for surface temperature scanning was previously flown on Hera and Hayabusa2

Lightweight Solar Array Wings – Developed by NEC for JAXA, this mission element allows for significant Ramses mass savings

H3 Launch Vehicle – JAXA will launch Ramses in spring 2028 aboard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' heavy-lift rocket, on a ride-share basis.

ESA's Ramses spacecraft
Space Safety

ESA's Ramses spacecraft

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Ramses mission poster
Space Safety

Ramses mission poster

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ESA's Ramses mission at the asteroid Apophis
Space Safety

ESA's Ramses mission at the asteroid Apophis

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ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis
Space Safety

ESA's Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis

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Ramses mission patch
Space Safety

Ramses mission patch

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