A special moment at ILA Berlin: At the OHB booth, OHB Italia—part of the technology and space group OHB SE—and Cosine Remote Sensing today marked an important step forward for Europe’s planetary defence efforts. The two companies signed a contract for the hyperspectral camera HAMLET, a core instrument for the ESA–JAXA mission RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety). The mission will study the asteroid Apophis during its exceptionally close flyby of Earth in April 2029.
Marco Fuchs, Chief Executive Officer of OHB SE, said:
“Missions like RAMSES clearly demonstrate what European spaceflight is capable of. The data from this camera will, for the first time, reveal in detail what Apophis is made of and how it behaves. The fact that we are on schedule is a strong team achievement—and I am proud that we are making a decisive contribution to planetary defence.”
The ESA mission RAMSES must reach Apophis in time ahead of its historic close approach to Earth. When the asteroid passes at a distance of just 32,000 kilometres, scientists will, for the first time, be able to observe in real time how an asteroid responds to Earth’s gravitational pull. Millions of people will also be able to observe the flyby with the naked eye.
Roberto Aceti, Managing Director of OHB Italia—selected by ESA as the industrial prime contractor—emphasised:
“By studying Apophis during its close flyby, we will gain critical knowledge for protecting our planet. Building on the success of Hera, RAMSES will take planetary defence to a new level: we will not only observe how humanity can interact with an asteroid, but how an asteroid interacts with Earth itself.”
High-precision analysis with HAMLET
With HAMLET, cutting-edge European sensor technology will be deployed. The hyperspectral camera, based on the proven HyperScout instrument developed for the Hera mission, will analyse the surface of Apophis across numerous spectral bands in the near and short-wave infrared range. This will deliver high-resolution data on its composition, structure, and physical properties.
For the first time, this will enable a detailed mineralogical and geological analysis of an asteroid during a close Earth flyby — an important step forward for both scientific research and planetary security.
