Blue Origin Sets August 15 Target for NASA Mars Mission on New Glenn’s Second Flight
Blue Origin Sets August 15 Target for NASA Mars Mission on New Glenn’s Second Flight
Blue Origin has announced a target launch date of no earlier than August 15, 2025, for the twin NASA ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) probes. This mission will mark the second flight of Blue Origin’s massive New Glenn rocket, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The announcement, made on Thursday, July 17, brings an end to the ESCAPADE mission’s period of uncertainty following its removal from New Glenn’s debut flight earlier this year. The initial New Glenn launch successfully occurred on January 15, 2025.
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp highlighted the significance of the upcoming flight, stating it will be New Glenn’s first interplanetary mission and the first multi-spacecraft orbital science mission to study the Martian magnetosphere. The company also aims for a successful landing and recovery of the booster for the first time.
The $80 million ESCAPADE mission, consisting of two identical probes named Blue and Gold, is designed to analyze Mars’ magnetic field, particle flows, and how energy and momentum are transported from the solar wind, offering insights into the planet’s real-time response to space weather.
In addition to ESCAPADE, the 320-foot-tall New Glenn will also carry a technology demonstration payload for satellite-communications company Viasat on this crucial second flight.
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