The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to work together on a mission focused on Asteroid Apophis.
This collaboration aims to enhance planetary defense by monitoring the asteroid's changes as it nears Earth in 2029.
The mission represents a proactive approach to understanding potential threats from near-Earth objects.
Updates
Update at 15:55 UTC on 2026-05-10
SpaceNews reported ESA and JAXA have finalized an agreement to collaborate on a mission to study the asteroid Apophis during its close flyby of Earth in 2029.
Sources: SpaceNews