Overview

• ESA says the RAMSES mission remains on plan ahead of a November ministerial funding decision, targeting a late April to early May 2028 launch and February 2029 arrival at Apophis.
• RAMSES completed preliminary design review and begins critical design review in November, with JAXA seeking funding to supply an infrared imager, solar arrays and an H3 launch, while Ariane 6 is held as backup.
• NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX is repurposed to rendezvous with Apophis before the close approach to map the surface, monitor spin and track changes through the flyby.
• A Chinese team presented the CROWN/Apophis concept using a pathfinder at Sun–Earth L1 to transfer to a post-encounter flyby, with international partners sought and approval still pending.
• On April 13, 2029 Apophis will pass inside the geosynchronous belt, be visible to the naked eye for more than two billion people and undergo measurable shifts in orbit and rotation without posing an impact threat this century.