Blue Origin Prepares for Second New Glenn Launch Carrying NASA's ESCAPADE Mission

Blue Origin is advancing preparations for the second flight of its New Glenn rocket, which will transport NASA's Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission to Mars. Laura Maginnis, vice president of New Glenn mission management at Blue Origin, stated that the company is making steady progress toward launching the twin ESCAPADE spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft arrived in Florida in mid-September and are scheduled to be fueled in the coming weeks. Maginnis noted that everything is proceeding smoothly.

The New Glenn rocket is also nearing readiness. A hot-fire test of the first stage is planned in the next few weeks, after which the stage will be integrated with the upper stage and the spacecraft. While a specific launch date has not been provided, the mission is expected to take place in the coming weeks. A NASA Launch Services Program official indicated that the launch is anticipated in late October or early November.

Originally scheduled for 2024, the launch has been delayed, necessitating adjustments to the mission's trajectory. The initial plan involved placing ESCAPADE into a supersynchronous transfer orbit, but as the launch slipped into fall 2024, a direct injection trajectory was considered. With the October Mars transfer window closed, alternative trajectories have been developed, allowing ESCAPADE to enter Earth orbit or travel to the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point until the next Mars window opens in late 2026. This approach provides daily launch windows of about 90 minutes, offering flexibility if the launch is postponed to later in November or December.

Reflecting on New Glenn's inaugural flight in January, Maginnis expressed confidence in the upcoming mission. She mentioned that the first mission was very clean, with no major anomalies or system performance issues. Although the first stage failed to land on a ship during the initial launch, she described it as an ambitious target for a first launch and anticipates a better chance of success in the upcoming attempt.