NASA's Mars mission to launch this week: Details
NASA's Escapade mission is set to launch as early as November 9, 2025, from Cape Canaveral.
Two small spacecraft—Blue and Gold—will ride Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket to help scientists figure out how solar radiation affects Mars's atmosphere.
Probes will map Mars's magnetic fields and upper atmosphere
Instead of heading straight for Mars, the twin probes will first travel around a stable point between Earth and the Sun, stay there for about a year, and then swing back toward Earth before heading to Mars, letting NASA skip the usual tight launch windows.
Flying just minutes apart, they'll map Mars's magnetic fields and upper atmosphere to better understand how the planet loses its air.
Escapade is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program
Escapade is part of NASA's SIMPLEx program focused on affordable space exploration.
With an $80 million budget, it aims to gather crucial info for future Mars missions and astronaut safety.
After a long journey and some orbital fine-tuning, science work kicks off in June 2028.