972998 Epipheron, as seen from the Eureka Fast Flyby mission's Long Range Imaging System (LoRIS). (Photo Credit to NASA)
Reconnaissance missions to the Asteroid were numerous, building on countless hours of routine and practice undertaken by space agencies across the world. Readiness, in many ways, was at an all time high - at least in terms of policy practice. Javelin Protocol, a complex policy and continuity of government agreement, had been signed into law in mid-2025, upon the recommendation from the National Space Council, Small Bodies Assessment Group, Space Force and Department of Energy. However, the second Trump administration had kicked the can down the road in terms of its execution, with the first task order for the promised "Deflection Fleet" of spacecraft only going out alongside the long delayed 2027 Budget Request. Cuts during the second Trump Administration, a key talking point of the Ossoff campaign, had done more to decimate the American industrial landscape in terms of readiness. Quality control suffered, and commercial partners who lacked experience were drawn in as a main element of the American industrial base - whether they were ready or not. NASA's Eureka mission, alongside the Japanese Sukauto spacecraft, would conduct in depth flybys of the asteroid, with the hopes of characterizing the rock for a potential deflection mission. This would ultimately never come, with the first Deflection Fleet spacecraft failing nearly 2 weeks prior to its expected arrival at Epipheron - ultimately precluding any attempt to move the asteroid away from Planet Earth.