Hey space enthusiasts 🚀! Mark your calendars for 2029—asteroid Apophis is making a super close flyby of Earth, zooming by just 32,000 km away (that’s closer than some geostationary satellites 👀).
Japan & Europe Team Up
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is joining the European Space Agency (ESA) on the Ramses mission to study Apophis. JAXA will provide:
- The powerful H3 rocket as the launch vehicle
- A ride-share launch with its DESTINY+ deep space explorer in 2028
- Infrared sensors and solar array paddle components for Ramses
Why It Matters
Tracking Apophis helps refine our planetary defense strategies—basically, prepping for any asteroid threats in the future. It’s like installing top-notch antivirus software, but for Earth 🌏💪.
Big Picture: Global Space Collabs
With NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission facing budget uncertainties, Europe and Japan are doubling down on teamwork. They remain committed to the Artemis lunar program, are building Europe’s IRIS² satellite network, and even have a multi-launch deal between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Eutelsat. Plus, don’t forget Japan’s joint lunar rover LUPEX mission with India 🚀🔭.
From Tokyo to Mumbai to Jakarta, this is a reminder that space exploration—and defense—is a global effort. Stay tuned for lift-off! 🪐
Reference(s):
Japan to join European mission for Earth's close call with asteroid
cgtn.com
