DESTINY+ & RAMSES

Circle Image

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 • 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

Family:
Configuration:

The H3 Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system in development in Japan. H3 rockets are liquid-propellant rockets with strap-on solid rocket boosters and are planned to be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Mitsubishi and the JAXA have been responsible for the design, manufacture, and operation of the H3.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    63.0 m
  • Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.27 m
  • Launch Mass
    574.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    H3
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    H3
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $50000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    6500.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI)

President: Seiji Izumisawa Founded: 1884 Successes: 54 Failures: 2 Pending: 9

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

Related News

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…

ESA

Ramses: ESA’s mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis

Friday the 13th of April 2029 will be our lucky day.

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-2


KAIROS
Failure
2 days, 4 hours ago
Flight 3
Space One Launch Pad - Spaceport Kii, Japan

Third flight of the KAIROS launch vehicle. 5 satellites will be on board: * TATARA-1R * SC-Sat1a * HErO * AETS-1 * Nutsat-3 (TASA/Taiwan)


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 19 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-40
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 3 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-41
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 20 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-23
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week ago
That's Not A Knife (DART AE)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C) - Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA

Payload is a scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle developed by by Australian company Hypersonix.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 6-108
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 17-26
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 6-110
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 6-104
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 17-25
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.