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ESA and JAXA lock in joint Apophis close-flyby mission for 2029

ESA and JAXA have finalized an agreement to collaborate on a mission to study the Apophis asteroid during its close Earth flyby in 2029. The partnership formalizes international cooperation on near-Earth asteroid characterization around a high-profile encounter timeline.

Discovered 2026-05-10T10:47:18.759164-07:00 | 2026-05-10T10:47:18.759164-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • A 2029 close-approach target like Apophis concentrates observational demand and coordination needs across agencies, making the finalized ESA–JAXA collaboration a key signal for how near-Earth object science and planning are being operationalized (source:564510e9-1c1f-4490-a049-14f531f36aad).
  • The agreement increases the odds of higher-quality, multi-stakeholder data during a time-boxed encounter, building on broader commercial and programmatic momentum around Apophis mission concepts (source:d857db19-f6fb-416b-9b8b-f64ae2c31cb4).
  • For space safety stakeholders, the explicit focus on studying Apophis during its close flyby directly ties mission activity to near-Earth operational awareness and risk-reduction objectives.

Reported By

keeptrack.space SpaceWatch Global SpaceNews.com
Sources Tracked
3
First Seen
2026-05-10T10:47:18.759164-07:00
Latest Update
2026-05-11T03:54:55.989886-07:00
Coverage
Space

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