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On 10 February 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a contract with\u00a0OHB Italia\u00a0for the development of the\u00a0Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety\u00a0(Ramses). Launching in 2028, Ramses will rendezvous with the asteroid\u00a0Apophis\u00a0before its rare close encounter with Earth. The mission will provide unique insight into the physical properties and behaviour of asteroids, and strengthen international collaboration and European capabilities in planetary defence.<\/p>\n
The contract, worth \u20ac81.2 million, was signed today by ESA and OHB Italia at ESA\u2019s ESTEC technology centre in the Netherlands and begins the spacecraft construction, assembly and testing phase of the Ramses mission. This builds upon\u00a0the contract signed in October 2024\u00a0to begin preparatory work on the mission and brings the total value to approximately \u20ac150 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to be entrusted by ESA with the Ramses mission,\u201d said Roberto Aceti, CEO of OHB Italia.\u00a0\u201cThis contract reflects the confidence placed in our team\u2019s expertise and decades-long heritage in delivering complex space systems. We look forward to working with ESA and our partners to deliver this truly ambitious mission for planetary defence.\u201d<\/p>\n
From left to right: Giuseppe Filomeno (Ramses Project Manager at OHB Italia),\u00a0Roberto Aceti (CEO at OHB Italia),\u00a0Orson Sutherland (Mars & Beyond Projects Group Leader at ESA),\u00a0Paolo Martino (Ramses Mission Manager at ESA).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n