ESA signed a contract to build a probe to the asteroid Apophis without government approval

On April 13, 2029, the 375-meter asteroid Apophis will invade near-Earth space. This is a great opportunity to study a celestial body that is potentially dangerous to the planet, but time is running out for mission preparation. EU leaders will only meet to decide the issue at the end of 2025, and the probe should be ready for launch at the end of 2028. Therefore, the leadership of the European Space Agency (ESA) exceeded its authority and recently concluded a contract for the design of a probe without the sanction of the EU authorities.

Artist’s impression of the RAMSES probe. Image source: ESA

It was decided to create a probe for studying Apophis in the likeness of the European interplanetary station Hera (“Hera”), sent into space on October 7, 2024 to study the binary system of asteroids Didymos and Dimorpha after the ramming of the smaller of them by the NASA DART kamikaze probe. The RAMSES (Rapid Apophis for Security and Safety) probe will be a simplified version of the station and will cost the agency less.

By the way, during the production of the Hera station it was possible to save €20 million. ESA representatives transferred this money as part of the contract for the development of RAMSES to the Italian company OHB Italia. The total value of the contract signed on October 17 in Milan was €63 million.

In addition to the RAMSES probe, the NASA OSIRIS-REx probe will be sent to meet Apophis. It is possible that the Chinese will send their apparatus to approach this asteroid. ESA’s early initiative will allow the agency to begin coordinating with other countries’ space agencies in mission planning. Asteroid Apophis will approach Earth at a distance of about 32,000 km – this is the distance of the orbits of geostationary satellites. It will be visible from Earth with the naked eye. It poses no direct danger to the planet, but it will become a training target for practicing planetary defense operations.