The European Space Agency (ESA) and OHB have signed a contract worth $68 million to begin work on the Ramses mission. The Ramses mission will conduct science observations on the asteroid Apophis before its close flyby of Earth in 2029. However, Ramses is still awaiting full funding approval from ESA member states, which will be decided at their next ministerial meeting in late 2025. However, to ensure that the spacecraft can be launched in early 2028 and arrive at Apophis about two months before its flyby of Earth, work on the mission must begin before the ministerial meeting. The preparatory work will mature the spacecraft design through a preliminary design review, including determining what payloads from potential international partners, such as India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, can be incorporated onto the mission.

The Ramses mission is an important step in studying and understanding near-Earth objects (NEOs) and their potential impact on Earth. The mission will provide critical data on the size, shape, composition, and trajectory of Apophis, as well as its physical and chemical properties. With this type of mission, the cyber security implications would include ensuring there is adequate secure communications for the ground stations on Earth. Any disruptions with communication such as unauthorized access, or data breaches could risk the success of the mission. The design should incorporate encryption and authentication to ensure that the integrity of the mission and data is secure. Finally, in case of a denial of service attack or insider threats, the system should be able to autonomously handle faults to continue the mission without direct communication with the ground station.

https://spacenews.com/esa-awards-contract-to-begin-work-on-ramses-asteroid-mission/