Only four weeks after the first Ramses flight hardware entered OHB Italia’s Clean Room in Milan, the flight panels have already been assembled, equipped with their flight units and are now ready for installation into the spacecraft structure.
This rapid progress reflects the expertise and dedication of our Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) teams. Often described as the “goldsmiths of space engineering”, our technicians combine precision, craftsmanship and attention to every detail, transforming structural panels into fully equipped spacecraft elements ready for the next phase of integration.
Behind every integration step lies meticulous work which is rarely visible, but essential to the success of the mission. Every connector, every bracket and every flight unit is installed and verified to meet the highest standards required for a spacecraft that will operate millions of kilometers from Earth.
The satellite, with a launch mass of approximately 1,250 kg, is designed to perform velocity changes of up to 1,650 m/s, providing the operational flexibility required for this ambitious planetary defence mission.
Scheduled for launch in April 2028, Ramses will rendezvous with asteroid 99942 Apophis in February 2029, two months before its historic close approach to Earth on 13 April 2029.
Equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including two CubeSats, Ramses will provide an unprecedented “before and after” view of the asteroid.
With such a compressed development schedule, every achievement is significant.
The readiness of the populated flight panels marks another important milestone as OHB Italia continues transforming engineering excellence into Europe’s next planetary defence mission.
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