NASA's ESCAPADE Probes Launched to Mars with Year of Loitering Planned
NASA's ESCAPADE probes, launched on November 13, 2025, will loiter at Earth's Lagrange point 2 for a year before using a gravity assist to reach Mars. The twin spacecraft, 'Blue' and 'Gold,' aim to study the interaction between solar wind and Mars' magnetic environment, with the mission expected to last until May 2029. This initiative is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program, emphasizing low-cost, high-risk missions.
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NASA's ESCAPADE spacecraft were launched on November 13, 2025, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. Due to unfavorable planetary alignment, the twin probes will enter a 'loiter' orbit around Earth's Lagrange point 2, approximately one million miles away, before heading to Mars.
The probes, designated 'Blue' and 'Gold,' will utilize Earth's gravity for a slingshot maneuver in November 2026 to begin their journey to Mars. They are tasked with studying the solar wind's interaction with Mars' magnetic environment and atmospheric escape.
The mission is expected to last until May 2029, despite concerns about wear from the extended loitering period. The ESCAPADE mission is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program, showcasing low-cost missions with higher risk, with Rocket Lab responsible for the probes' design and construction.
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