New Glenn to Launch NASA Mars Mission This Week
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is scheduled for its second mission, set to launch NASA’s ESCAPADE probes to Mars on November 9. This launch marks the first operational flight of New Glenn carrying a NASA science payload.
Launch Details
The rocket will lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This follows the initial debut mission of New Glenn in January earlier this year.
ESCAPADE Mission Overview
The ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission includes two identical small satellites nicknamed “Blue” and “Gold.” Built by Rocket Lab, these probes are part of NASA's Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program.
- Once at Mars, the twin satellites will orbit complementarily to study the planet’s magnetosphere.
- The mission’s objective is to understand how solar wind strips Mars’ atmosphere over time.
- This 3D dual-satellite perspective will provide real-time data on atmospheric escape.
“The twin probes will help solve the puzzle of how Mars lost its ancient, watery climate.”
Other Significant Launches This Week
- Europe's Sentinel-1D satellite
- United Launch Alliance's ViaSat-3 F2 satellite
- Multiple missions from SpaceX and China
New Glenn Rocket Specifications
The 321-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket recently completed a successful static fire test on its seven BE-4 engines in October.
Author's summary: Blue Origin’s New Glenn will embark on its first operational NASA mission this week, deploying twin ESCAPADE satellites to study Mars’s atmosphere and magnetosphere in 3D detail.
More News
- Commuters hot under the collar as snow, ice gridlock roads across Seoul
- Sydney Sixers Vs Adelaide Strikers, WBBL 2025: SYS-W Beat AS-W By One Run Thanks To Ellyse Perry Century
- Benin: the government declares coup attempt has been 'foiled'
- Benin authorities say coup attempt foiled, President Talon safe
- No quick fix for ‘tiresome’ M50 gridlock, Minister says
- Breaking: Loyalist troops foil coup attempt in Benin
- Congress gridlocked on key issues as year-end deadline looms
- Cheap Domestic Flights in United States of America
- Women’s Big Bash League 2025-26 results
- Hundreds stranded after IndiGo canceled 1,000 flights in India air travel chaos