OHB Secures EUR 81 Million Contract for Apophis Mission

Europe is gearing up for the close encounter with asteroid Apophis, set to pass near Earth in 2029. The European Space Agency (ESA) has granted OHB Italia a contract worth EUR 81.2 million for the development of the RAMSES spacecraft, marking the commencement of its production phase. Together with a previous contract, the total project budget reaches about EUR 150 million.

RAMSES, modeled on the successful Hera mission also engineered by OHB, aims for a swift development cycle of 3.5 years, leveraging technology from its predecessor. Launch is slated for 2028, with the mission set to provide critical data on Apophis's physical and gravitational properties during its April 2029 flyby.

OHB CEO Marco Fuchs underlined the significance of planetary defense, highlighting the continued leadership role of OHB in this field through the RAMSES mission.