2028 mission to earth-grazing asteroid Apophis

After Rosetta, DART and Hera, Politecnico di Milano is preparing for a return to deep space. In 2028, the university will take part in the European Space Agency’s RAMSES mission to study Apophis which is a 350-metre-wide asteroid that will pass remarkably close to Earth, just 31,000 km away, on 13 April 2029.

The DART (Deep-space Astrodynamics Research and Technology) Laboratory, part of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, has been selected by ESA to contribute to the RCS-1 CubeSat, which is being developed by Tyvak International. This miniature satellite will travel aboard the RAMSES probe. Led by Professors Francesco Topputo and Fabio Ferrari, the Politecnico team will be responsible for mission design, development of autonomous guidance systems, and acquisition of close-up images of the asteroid’s surface.

CubeSats are compact, low-cost satellites that deliver significant scientific and technological value. In the RAMSES mission, they will operate autonomously in the vicinity of Apophis which is a fast-moving body travelling within geostationary orbit.

Scientifically, RCS-1 will provide key insights into Apophis's physical and dynamic properties through imagery and data gathered during the flyby. CubeSat RCS-1 will serve as a test platform for new autonomous navigation algorithms developed by the Politecnico team.

RAMSES, an ESA-proposed mission, aims to rendezvous with Apophis ahead of its 2029 flyby. The probe is scheduled to arrive by February 2029 to observe the asteroid and monitor any changes caused by Earth’s gravitational pull during its close approach.