ESA-JAXA Ramses asteroid spacecraft powered on for first time
The European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Ramses spacecraft has been switched on for the first time by its prime contractor OHB Italia at their Milan facility, marking a major milestone in development. The spacecraft's Core Module, containing main electronics including the On-Board Computer, Power Conditioning and Distribution Unit, Mass Memory Unit, and Remote Terminal Units, underwent integrated functional testing for the first time, allowing engineers to verify subsystem performance working together. Ramses must launch by spring 2028 to rendezvous with the Apophis asteroid as it passes Earth on 13 April 2029. The spacecraft's two modules—the Core Module being assembled in Italy and the Propulsion Module at ArianeGroup's facility in Germany—will be combined next spring at ESA's ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands to begin pre-flight testing.
