The European Space Agency has awarded Spanish satellite manufacturer EMXYS a contract to build a small lander that will attempt to touch down on the surface of an asteroid ahead of its close encounter with Earth. Apophis, the asteroid in question, will pass within 32,000 kilometres of Earth’s surface, closer than the geostationary satellites orbiting the planet, in April 2029.
The Don Quijote lander is aptly named for an ambitious Spanish-led attempt to land on an asteroid. While not tilting at windmills, the little spacecraft has the odds stacked against it. It will attempt to land on an asteroid that is “likely to be tumbling chaotically,” according to Francesca Ingiosi, the ESA engineer overseeing the mission. Due to the asteroid’s ultra-low gravity, the lander may bounce along its surface before coming to rest. As no one knows what it will encounter on the asteroid’s surface, there is even “a small possibility that Don Quijote sinks into the ground, which,” Ingiosi noted, “would not be good!”
If the little lander that could is up to the challenge and safely reaches the surface, a trio of instruments will measure the asteroid’s gravity and magnetic fields and take seismic readings before, during, and after its close encounter with Earth. Researchers expect Earth’s gravity to deform the asteroid and potentially trigger “asteroid quakes,” giving Don Quijote a front-row seat for observing how our planet welcomes a celestial visitor.
While ESA’s official announcement does not disclose a contract value for the delivery of the Don Quijote lander, EMXYS CTO Francisco García de Quirós told Spanish publication Economía 3 that the full development will cost approximately €10 million. Separately, GomSpace announced in a press release that it had been awarded a €1.5 million subcontract for the CubeSat’s attitude and orbit control system and onboard software, with an additional €500,000 in optional activities. The project’s consortium is rounded out by Spanish technology company GMV, which is contributing to the lander’s guidance and navigation systems.
Don Quijote will be carried to Apophis aboard ESA’s Ramses probe, which is being developed by OHB Italia. The company received an initial €63 million contract in October 2024 for the mission’s consolidation and early implementation phases. This was followed by an €81.2 million contract in February 2026 for the full development, testing, and delivery of the spacecraft.
The Ramses probe, with its two passengers, is currently expected to launch in spring 2028 to enable it to rendezvous with the asteroid before its close approach.
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