On Tuesday, ESA also marked its partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA. With BepiColombo and EarthCARE currently in flight, JAXA has indicated its interest in supporting the upcoming Ramses asteroid mission. Ramses is designed to rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis, which will pass closer to Earth than the orbits of some satellites in April 2029. The mission will help support future planetary defence missions for asteroids that pose a collision risk. In addition, the JAXA-led DESTINY+ explorer mission will launch alongside Ramses and perform a fast flyby of Apophis before the arrival of Ramses, helping with the latter's navigation to the asteroid.

Following the meeting with JAXA representatives including President Hiroshi Yamakawa, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said: "JAXA remains one of ESA’s most important long-term strategic partners. As my friend and the President of JAXA Dr. Yamakawa put it: international collaboration is not possible without win-win solutions. And with JAXA, it's always a win-win."