ESA picked Spain’s EMXYS to build the €10 million lander, which will try to set down on asteroid Apophis in April 2029, when it passes just 32,000 km from Earth, closer than many satellites. Its three instruments will record gravity, magnetism and quakes as Earth’s pull tugs on the rock. Our take: a rare free experiment, courtesy of celestial mechanics.
- 2028Ramses probe launches
- 04/2029Apophis passes 32,000 km from Earth