NASA's ESCAPADE mission to study Mars aboard Blue Origin rocket

Technology Jul 19, 2025

NASA's twin ESCAPADE probes are gearing up for launch to Mars on August 15, 2025, riding Blue Origin's second New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.
The mission was bumped from the rocket's debut flight due to delays but is now back on track.

ESCAPADE will study Mars's magnetic field and solar wind interaction

ESCAPADE will send two small probes to study how Mars's magnetic field interacts with solar wind and why the planet keeps losing its atmosphere.
Built by Rocket Lab and managed by UC Berkeley, it's also New Glenn's first trip beyond Earth.

Viasat's tech demo will also be part of the payload

Alongside ESCAPADE, there'll be a tech demo from Viasat onboard—showing just how much NASA and private space companies are teaming up for big science adventures.