Solar Storms Postpone Blue Origin's New Glenn Launch of NASA's ESCAPADE Mission
Intense solar activity has delayed the launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket carrying NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes, with a new date yet to be announced.
Blue Origin has postponed the launch of its New Glenn rocket, originally scheduled for November 12, due to heightened solar activity. The mission aims to deploy NASA's twin ESCAPADE orbiters to Mars. The decision to delay was made out of concern for the potential effects of increased radiation on the spacecraft. A new launch date has not been set, as the company assesses future opportunities based on space weather forecasts and range availability.
This marks the second postponement for the mission; an earlier attempt on November 9 was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather conditions. The ESCAPADE mission, managed by NASA, involves two small satellites designed to study Mars' magnetosphere and its interaction with solar wind. The spacecraft were built by Rocket Lab and are intended to help researchers understand how solar wind contributes to the depletion of Mars' atmosphere.
The New Glenn rocket, standing at 321 feet (98 meters), is significantly larger and more powerful than Blue Origin's New Shepard rockets used for suborbital passenger flights. This mission would be the second flight of New Glenn, following its debut in January.