Blue Origin's New Glenn to Launch NASA's ESCAPADE Mission to Mars in Late October or Early November

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is now slated to launch NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars between late October and early November, postponing the previously set date of September 29.

Tim Dunn, senior launch director in NASA’s Launch Services Program, stated, "We believe we’re targeting very late in October, maybe the first week in November, for ESCAPADE to launch on a New Glenn rocket."

The ESCAPADE mission comprises two small satellites designed to study Mars' magnetosphere. These spacecraft were initially shipped to Florida in August 2024 for a planned October launch. However, preparations were halted in early September when it was determined that New Glenn would not be ready in time for the launch window, leading to the spacecraft's return to California.

The upcoming mission will mark the second flight of New Glenn, following its inaugural launch in January, which successfully reached orbit but experienced a booster landing failure. Blue Origin has since identified corrective actions and aims to achieve a successful booster recovery in this forthcoming launch.

Unlike typical Mars missions, ESCAPADE does not face narrow launch windows. The mission team has developed multiple trajectories that allow the spacecraft to loiter in Earth orbit or around the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point before heading to Mars in 2026, enabling a flexible launch schedule.

Rob Lillis, principal investigator for ESCAPADE at the University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Lab, expressed enthusiasm, stating, "It’s been a long road, but we are so excited to be launching Blue & Gold on their mission to understand the Martian space weather environment."