Backbone of Ramses asteroid mission stands tall
Construction of ESA’s Ramses asteroid mission has begun in a cleanroom in Bremen, Germany. The spacecraft’s central tube is now completed, around which other structural components are being assembled in time for Ramses to rendezvous with the Apophis asteroid before it passes by Earth on 13 April 2029.
Made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer – a strong but lightweight composite material also employed in wind turbine blades and Formula 1 cars – the central tube measures about 1.55 m in height and weighs just under 40 kg. It forms the structural backbone of Ramses, around which its first components are now being put in place, including panels and mechanical subsystems.
“This is a very significant milestone for us because Ramses is a mission that literally cannot be late,” says Paolo Martino, ESA’s Ramses mission manager. “We absolutely have to launch in spring 2028. Usually asteroid missions must venture a long way into deep space but this time the asteroid will come to us, passing within 32 000 km of Earth. But despite Apophis coming so close to us, in order to intercept the asteroid at the right time we need to chase it in deep space for 10 months in advance of its Earth flyby.
“Then, by staying with the 375-m diameter Apophis as Earth’s gravity interacts with it, Ramses – along with the pair of shoebox-sized CubeSats it will bring with it – will learn about the asteroid’s make-up and structure, in support of planetary defence.”
OHB Italia is ESA’s prime contractor for Ramses, with OHB System AG leading its structural integration. Ramses’s central tube comes from Beyond Gravity, its structural panels from APCO Technologies and additional support structures from OHB Czechspace.
To meet its firm 2028 deadline for launch by Japanese H3 rocket, the development, integration and testing of Ramses must be completed within less than two years. To help achieve this, Ramses reuses design elements of ESA’s Hera asteroid mission, on track to reach the Dimorphos asteroid this November.
“With the start of integration activities in the cleanroom, Ramses has clearly entered its implementation phase,” comments Andreas Gierse, overseeing the spacecraft’s structure, thermal and propulsion systems at OHB. “The schedule is ambitious, but thanks to our experience – particularly from the Hera mission – we have the know-how needed to meet this timeline while ensuring the highest quality standards.
The final Ramses spacecraft will consist of two main modules, both undergoing integration in parallel – in Bremen, Germany, and Milan, Italy – to save crucial time in the schedule. Ramses’ Propulsion Module is being shipped at the end of June from OHB Bremen to ArianeGroup in Lampoldshausen, Germany, for the integration of tanks, thrusters, valves and piping.
Its Core Module meanwhile is being developed at OHB Italia, and will host the main electronics, Ramses’ onboard computer, attitude control system plus communication and navigation subsystem.
The pair will be integrated together to form the complete Ramses spacecraft in early 2027, at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Marco Fuchs, overall CEO of OHB notes: “Ramses represents Europe’s clear ambition to take on a leading role in planetary defence – and our ability to successfully deliver highly complex missions under extreme time pressure.”
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