What mission plans to track asteroid Apophis changes?

ESA–JAXA plan to watch Apophis closely in 2029

A new joint collaboration between the European Space Agency and Japan’s space agency aims to observe asteroid Apophis during its 2029 close approach to Earth. The cooperation was formalized through a memorandum of cooperation, with the stated goal of deepening work on planetary defense—particularly by increasing the scientific and operational ability to monitor changes in the asteroid as it nears Earth.

What’s being done

The coverage indicates that the agencies have aligned to coordinate around Apophis observations, emphasizing “watch every change.” That wording signals an intent to track the asteroid’s evolving characteristics as it approaches, which could include changes in its observable properties from Earth and refined measurements that help assess its trajectory and behavior.

Why 2029 matters

Apophis’ near-Earth passage is important because even small refinements in an asteroid’s orbit can improve impact risk assessments and planning. Close approaches also provide opportunities to improve physical characterization of an object that would otherwise be difficult to study from afar.

Why the partnership is relevant

Planetary defense benefits from rapid data collection, cross-agency coordination, and independent verification. A joint ESA–JAXA effort suggests both observational and analysis capacity could be pooled around the 2029 flyby.

Limits of the provided information

The excerpt doesn’t specify the instruments, mission concept details, spacecraft involvement, or exact observing locations/timelines beyond the 2029 timeframe.

Still, the headline point is clear: two major space agencies are increasing collaboration to maximize what scientists learn about Apophis during its critical 2029 pass.