ESA and NASA aren’t the only ones interested in this flyby event. As New Scientist reports, the Japanese space agency JAXA is planning its Demonstration of Space Technology for Interplanetary Voyage with Phaethon Flyby Dust Science (DESTINY+ ...this acronym is more tortured) also has plans for Apophis. As its name suggests, DESTINY+’s primary mission is the 3200 Phaethon, but on the spacecraft’s journey toward this asteroid, it’ll make a flyby of Apophis in 2029 as well.
This rocket will launch Ramses too...
This will be the first time a Japanese rocket will launch a European Space Agency probe. The ESA's Apophis observation probe "RAMSES," officially announced in August, will be riding alongside JAXA's "DESTINY+," which will replace Epsilon S. We explain how the mission came about.H3 rocket launches first Japan-Europe collaborative mission to launch asteroid probe - Impress Watch https://www.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/topic/2047932.html
Ramses needs to launch in April 2028 to allow for an arrival at Apophis in February 2029, two months before the close approach.
