New Glenn to Launch NASA Mars Mission This Week
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is preparing for its second flight on November 9, delivering NASA’s ESCAPADE probes to Mars. This launch marks the rocket’s first operational mission carrying a NASA science payload since its debut in January.
Mission Overview
The New Glenn rocket will lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The payload, known as ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), consists of two identical small satellites named “Blue” and “Gold.”
These twin probes were developed by Rocket Lab under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program.
Scientific Objectives
After reaching Mars, the satellites will enter complementary orbits to investigate the planet’s unique magnetosphere. Their mission is to understand how the solar wind interacts with the Martian atmosphere, causing gradual atmospheric loss.
“This dual-satellite view will give scientists a real-time, 3D picture of atmospheric escape, helping to solve the puzzle of how Mars lost its ancient, watery climate.”
Additional Launches This Week
- Europe's Sentinel-1D satellite
- United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) launch of the massive ViaSat-3 F2 satellite
- Several missions from SpaceX and China
New Glenn’s Recent Preparations
The 321-foot-tall (98-meter) New Glenn recently performed a successful static fire test of its seven BE-4 engines in October, confirming readiness for the Mars mission launch.
Author’s summary: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket embarks on its first NASA science mission, carrying twin ESCAPADE satellites to study Mars’ atmosphere and reveal how solar winds have shaped the planet’s climate.