24/7 Space News

NASA twin spacecraft depart Earth orbit to begin Mars mission

illustration only

NASA twin spacecraft depart Earth orbit to begin Mars mission

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 14, 2025

NASA's ESCAPADE mission has initiated its journey as two identical spacecraft, designed to study Mars' magnetosphere, separated and deployed from Blue Origin's New Glenn upper stage. Both probes will spend the next year in a unique Earth-bound orbit before executing a trans-Mars injection burn in November 2026, employing the Oberth Effect to maximize mission fuel efficiency.

The paired orbiters, engineered by Rocket Lab and overseen by UC Berkeley, mark the first Mars science effort to place two coordinated satellites into distinct Martian orbits for synchronized measurement campaigns. Arrival at Mars is set for September 2027, when a staged insertion and gradual orbital refinement will position both craft for simultaneous data collection starting in spring 2028.

Scientific objectives for ESCAPADE include charting Mars' response to solar phenomena, measuring dynamic atmospheric changes, and quantifying the flow of solar wind particles and the resultant energy transfer inside the Martian magnetosphere. The dataset will help mission planners design improved shielding for future crewed and robotic Mars missions.

ESCAPADE stands out as a flagship initiative in NASA's SIMPLEx program, funded by the Heliophysics Division and managed by the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Services Program under the VADR contract.

Related Links
ESCAPADE atNASA
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters

RELATED CONTENT

The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.

NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars - twin UC Berkeley satellites dubbed Blue and Gold - will launch in early November
Berkeley, CA (SPX) Nov 06, 2025
The first dual-satellite mission to another planet, NASA's ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), is scheduled for launch no earlier than Sunday, Nov. 9, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The two identical spacecraft are managed and operated by the University of California, Berkeley, and will fly in formation to map the magnetic fields, upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars in 3D, providing the first stereo view of the Red Planet's unique near-space environment. What they ... read more

Hydroponic plant factories enable continuous urban edamame harvest

Race for first private space station heats up as NASA set to retire ISS

Colorado Boulder advances research and education in space law and policy

Trump II could be moment to break US tech power: author

Space Systems Command advances New Glenn certification after latest launch

Solar flares pause Blue Origin-NASA Mars probe launch

Blue Origin launches NASA Mars mission and nails booster landing

Dream Chaser spaceplane passes pre-flight tests at Kennedy Space Center

Ancient Martian groundwater may have prolonged habitability beyond previous estimates

What a Martian ice age left behind

NASA twin spacecraft depart Earth orbit to begin Mars mission

Dust and Sand Movements Reshape Martian Slopes

China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts return to Earth after delay

Tiangong hosts dual crews after debris impact delays Shenzhou-20 return

Chinese astronauts use upgraded oven to barbecue chicken wings and steaks aboard space station

China unveils 2026 mission for next generation crewed spaceship

ESA's impact featured in key UK space policy report

China moves forward with orbital internet network expansion

SpaceX launches 29 satellites after fireball spotted in the sky

New satellite operations centre planned for Germany to support EU constellation

Quantum timing and sensing partnership set to reshape space infrastructure

MIT researchers propose a new model for legible, modular software

Europe commercial satellite life extension mission set for 2027

Fanfare as Guinea launches enormous Simandou iron ore mine

How to spot life in the clouds on other worlds

Exoplanet map initiative earns NASA support for University of Iowa physicist

Ageing stars found to destroy nearby giant planets

3I/ATLAS Highlights Scale and Significance of Interstellar Objects Passing Through the Solar System

Saturn moon mission planning shifts to flower constellation theory

Could these wacky warm Jupiters help astronomers solve the planet formation puzzle?

Out-of-this-world ice geysers on Saturn's Enceladus

3 Questions: How a new mission to Uranus could be just around the corner

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.