DESTINY+ & RAMSES

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Overview

Destination: Asteroid
Mission: Planetary Science

Asteroid Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2 Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science) is a planned asteroid exploration mission to 3200 Phaethon, the parent body of the Geminids meteor shower. It will demonstrate further improvements of low cost solar electric propulsion in deep space and innovative light-weight solar array panel technology. The spacecraft will carry 3 science instruments: * DESTINY Dust Analyzer (DDA) * Telescopic Camera for Phaethon (TCAP) * Multiband Camera for Phaethon (MCAP) RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) is a European-Japanese planetary defense mission to near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis, led by the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft will arrive around Apophis in February 2029, before the asteroid’s very close fly-by to Earth on 13 April 2029. It will conduct measurements of the asteroid's properties before and during the Earth flyby to study its response to the close encounter with the planet. The spacecraft will leverage much of the technology developed for the Hera mission. At the asteroid, RAMSES will deploy two smaller CubeSats, one carrying a dust analyser, a low-frequency radar, the other will attempt to land on Apophis and provide high-resolution images from the surface.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • May 14, 2026, 6:42 p.m.

Updated launcher variant.


Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 22, 2025, 1:26 p.m.

Confirmation of DESTINY+ and RAMSES to be flown on the same launch vehicle.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 11, 2024, 6:37 p.m.

Launch vehicle switched to H3, launch delayed to FY2028 due to delays with RTF of Epsilon rocket.


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 27, 2023, 11:56 a.m.

Delayed to NET FY2025.


H3-24

Family:
Configuration: 24

The H3 Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system in development in Japan. Each H3 booster configuration has a two-digit and a letter designation that indicates the features of that configuration. The first digit represents the number of LE-9 engines on the main stage, either "2" or "3". The second digit indicates the number of SRB-3 solid rocket boosters attached to the base of the rocket, and can be "0", "2" or "4". All layouts of solid boosters are symmetrical. The letter in the end shows the length of the payload fairing, either short "S" or long "L". For example, an H3-24L has two engines, four solid rocket boosters, and a long fairing, whereas an H3-30S has three engines, no solid rocket boosters, and a short fairing.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    63.0 m
  • Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Launch Mass
  • Thrust
    12142.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    H3-24
  • Family
  • Variant
    24
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    H3-24
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $50000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    7900.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 56 Failures: 2 Pending: 13

Agency Type:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group. MHI's products include aerospace components, air conditioners, aircraft, automotive components, forklift trucks, hydraulic equipment, machine tools, missiles, power generation equipment, printing machines, ships and space launch vehicles. Through its defense-related activities, it is the world's 23rd-largest defense contractor measured by 2011 defense revenues and the largest based in Japan.

INFO WIKI
ESA

Surface CubeSat contracted for Ramses asteroid mission

The European Space Agency has contracted Spanish company EMXYS for the first CubeSat designed to operate on the surface of an asteroid. Don Quijote is a shoebox-sized spacecraft that will be deployed onto the Apophis asteroid by ESA’s Rams…

ESA

ESA and JAXA team up on planetary defence, Ramses mission to asteroid Apophis

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to deepen collaboration in planetary defence, alongside a dedicated agreement for collaboration on the Rapid Apophis …

SpaceDaily

ESA signs Ramses spacecraft and cubesat deals for Apophis flyby

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 13, 2026 On 10 February 2026 the European Space Agency signed a contract with OHB Italia to develop the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety, known as Ramses, securing the next phase of Europes dedicated mis…

European Spaceflight

ESA Awards OHB a €81.2 Million Contract for Ramses Asteroid Probe

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded OHB Italia a €81.2 million contract for the construction, assembly, and testing phase of the agency’s Ramses mission, which will study the asteroid Apophis during its close encounter with Earth. …

ESA

ESA awards contracts for Ramses mission to Apophis

On 10 February 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a contract with OHB Italia for the development of the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses). Launching in 2028, Ramses will rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis before i…

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2


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