Planetary Defense at Record Speed: OHB Secures EUR 81 Million Contract for Apophis Mission

OHB SE / DE0005936124

OHB SE / Key word(s): Incoming Orders


05.03.2026 / 11:20 CET/CEST
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RAMSES to Build on the Success of Hera — Bremen Expertise Powers Europe’s Fastest Asteroid Mission

Europe is preparing for the close approach of asteroid Apophis, which will pass so near to Earth in spring 2029 that it will be visible to the naked eye. The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded the contract for the development of the RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) spacecraft to OHB Italia, a subsidiary of the aerospace and technology group OHB. The newly signed contract is valued at EUR 81.2 million and marks the start of the spacecraft’s manufacturing, integration, and testing phase. Including the preparatory contract signed in 2024, the total order volume now amounts to roughly EUR 150 million.

“RAMSES must launch in 2028 to reach asteroid Apophis about two months before its close approach to Earth. With Hera, we have already demonstrated together with ESA that we can move fast — and I’m even more pleased that we can now leverage our Hera heritage so quickly again,” says OHB CEO Marco Fuchs, who was at the Hera launch and has followed the journey to the asteroid closely ever since. “Hera has successfully completed all maneuvers so far, and we are eagerly awaiting its arrival at its destination toward the end of the year.”

Built on Hera — OHB’s Proven Heritage for Asteroid Missions
RAMSES is based on ESA’s Hera mission, currently en route to the binary asteroid system Didymos/Dimorphos, and developed and built by OHB System AG. Hera was completed in just four years — roughly half the time usually required for missions of this complexity.

RAMSES will push this record even further: the spacecraft must be developed, built, and tested in only 3.5 years. This accelerated schedule is possible only because of the extensive Hera heritage and the reuse of numerous technologies, which will be adapted to meet the demanding objectives of the RAMSES mission.

Why the RAMSES Mission Matters
On Friday, 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass Earth at a distance of just 32,000 kilometers — closer than, for example, Europe’s MTG weather satellites, which orbit at 36,000 kilometers. The RAMSES mission will conduct optical and gravitational measurements of the 375?meter asteroid before, during, and after its flyby. Two cubesats, including a lander, will characterize the gravitational field and perform seismic measurements on the surface.

“With RAMSES and Hera, we are maintaining our leading position in the field of planetary defense. Protecting Earth from external threats is of the highest importance to OHB; in addition to our two asteroid missions, we are also contributing to asteroid detection through the Flyeye telescope,” says Marco Fuchs.

The data and insights gained from RAMSES will help to better assess future risks posed by near?Earth asteroids and to plan effective deflection strategies. With RAMSES, Europe is strengthening its capabilities in the field of planetary defense – and the OHB Group is once again demonstrating its leading role in the rapid, reliable construction of advanced asteroid-exploration missions.

Further information can be found on ESA’s website here:
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/ESA_awards_contracts_for_Ramses_mission_to_Apophis



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Language:	English
Company:	OHB SE
	Manfred-Fuchs-Platz 2-4
	28359 Bremen
	Germany
Phone:	[phone]
E-mail:	[e-mail]
Internet:	www.ohb.de
ISIN:	DE0005936124
WKN:	593612
Listed:	Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate BSX
EQS News ID:	2286376

End of News	EQS News Service

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2286376  05.03.2026 CET/CEST