NASA and the University of California, Berkeley are launching a pair of small orbiters this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket to study how Mars lost its thick atmosphere billions of years ago. The twin spacecraft, part of the ESCAPADE mission, will take an unusual route via a Lagrange point, loop there for about a year, and then head to Mars, where they are expected to arrive in 2027. Scientists aim to capture a three dimensional, real time view of the Martian magnetosphere and upper atmosphere to measure how solar wind and space weather strip away gas. The results could refine climate models for Mars and offer lessons about atmospheric vulnerability on Earth, as well as help plan protections for future human explorers.
Key Takeaways
- Mission name and partners: ESCAPADE, led by NASA and UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, launches Sunday 2:45 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center on a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket.
- First dual-satellite planetary mission: Two identical orbiters will fly in formation to produce a 3D picture of Mars’ magnetosphere and upper atmosphere in real time.
- Spacecraft specs and cost: Each probe is about the size of a mini fridge and weighs nearly 250 pounds, with the mission budget estimated at roughly 70 to 80 million US dollars.
- Trajectory and schedule: The pair will loop near a Lagrange point for about a year before returning toward Earth and onward to Mars, with arrival planned for 2027.
- Launch vehicle details: New Glenn stands more than 320 feet tall, is partially reusable, and this flight is the rocket’s second mission.
- Scientific context: ESCAPADE builds on MAVEN observations, which have monitored Mars atmosphere since 2014, by adding a coordinated, multi-point perspective on atmospheric escape.
- Operational benefit: The chosen route could allow more flexible launch windows for future Mars missions, an advantage for scaling up robotic or crewed campaigns.
Background
Mars today is cold, dry, and desert like, but geologic and chemical evidence indicates that billions of years ago it hosted a thicker atmosphere and flowing water on its surface. That ancient climate appears to have supported standing fresh water and richer atmospheric chemistry that in many respects resembled early Earth. Scientists have long sought to understand when and how Mars transitioned from that warmer, wetter state to the thin, frigid environment observed now.
A leading hypothesis is that solar wind and charged particles gradually stripped away atmospheric gases, and that Mars lost much of its global magnetic field early in its history. Earth retained a strong, internally generated magnetosphere that deflects high energy particles, helping preserve our atmosphere. Robotic missions, notably MAVEN which has been studying Mars atmospheric loss since 2014, have provided evidence that the sun’s particle flux can drive escape processes, but a coordinated two point measurement promises to resolve dynamics that single spacecraft cannot.
Main Event
The ESCAPADE mission consists of two identical small satellites, nicknamed Gold and Blue after UC Berkeley colors, that will fly in formation to map how the Martian magnetosphere reacts to changing space weather. Launch is scheduled for Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral using Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is making its second flight. Instead of the usual direct transfer, the spacecraft will first travel to a Sun Earth Lagrange point where the pull of Earth and the sun balance, spend approximately a year looping that region, then use that trajectory to slingshot back toward Earth and onward to Mars.
Once in Mars orbit, the twin probes will take complementary measurements of plasma, magnetic fields, and the upper atmosphere to quantify how charged particles and solar energy drive atmospheric escape. By sampling different regions simultaneously, the mission will produce a three dimensional, time resolved view of processes that have been inferred but not directly observed at this scale. Principal Investigator Robert Lillis has emphasized the operational value of this mapping for forecasting hazardous solar events that could threaten astronauts on the surface or in orbit.
The mission is intentionally compact and focused, classified as one of NASA’s smaller and lower cost science efforts. Projected to cost about 70 to 80 million US dollars, ESCAPADE demonstrates a lean approach to targeted planetary science, while relying on partnerships with academic labs and a commercial launch provider. Team leaders expect the new observational geometry to complement long running datasets such as MAVEN and to help scientists test models of atmospheric loss with fresh, multi point data.
Analysis & Implications
Understanding atmospheric escape on Mars matters for two related scientific questions. First, it clarifies the planet’s climatic history and the timeline by which Mars became inhospitable for long lived surface water. Second, it offers a natural experiment for comparing planetary magnetospheres and their role in protecting atmospheres. If solar wind driven erosion is confirmed as the dominant mechanism that thinned Mars atmosphere, that underscores how critical magnetic shielding can be for long term atmospheric retention.
For Earth, the comparison is cautionary rather than alarmist. Earth benefits from an internally generated global magnetic field and a more massive atmosphere, both of which reduce vulnerability to space weather driven loss on human timescales. Nevertheless, ESCAPADE’s measurements will sharpen models of how charged particle fluxes couple to upper atmosphere chemistry and escape, improving predictions of long term climate evolution and the response to extreme solar events.
Operationally, the mission has near term value for human exploration. Space weather forecasting anchored in in situ data supports risk mitigation for crews, habitats, and electronics. Mapping the Martian magnetospheric response to storms will help planners design radiation shelters, schedule extravehicular activity, and set acceptable mission timelines for astronauts venturing to Mars.
Strategically, ESCAPADE is also a demonstration of mission design choices. The Lagrange point loop and use of a commercial heavy lift vehicle like New Glenn indicate alternative architectures that could enable more flexible cadence for future Mars launches, which would be important if agencies and companies plan to send larger numbers of probes or humans in the coming decades.
Comparison & Data
| Mission | Launch / Arrival | Type | Primary goal | Notable stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESCAPADE | Launch Sunday 2:45 p.m. ET / Arrive 2027 | Dual small orbiters | 3D, time resolved mapping of magnetosphere and atmospheric escape | Two probes ~250 lb each; mission cost ~70-80M USD |
| MAVEN | Arrived 2014 (in orbit since 2014) | Single orbiter | Study atmospheric loss mechanisms | Long term atmospheric datasets since 2014 |
The table highlights how ESCAPADE complements earlier work by adding multi point, coordinated observations while operating at a small cost profile. Single spacecraft missions give valuable time series at one location; dual orbiters enable spatial separation and simultaneous sampling of cause and effect during dynamic events such as solar storms.
Reactions & Quotes
Scientists and advocates emphasize both the scientific and practical stakes of the mission. The Planetary Society framed ESCAPADE as a rare chance to place Mars and Earth in sharper comparative context, noting similarities in early chemistry and the value of that comparison for understanding planetary outcomes.
From what we know, early Mars followed a developmental path similar to Earth’s, including thicker atmosphere and standing water, so tracing why Mars lost that atmosphere helps illuminate Earth’s own vulnerability
Casey Dreier, Planetary Society
Mission leadership points to the operational return on space weather measurements for crewed exploration.
Mapping magnetospheric responses will let us forecast solar storms and their radiation risk well enough to protect astronauts on the Martian surface or in orbit
Robert Lillis, Principal Investigator, UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory
Industry observers also noted the flight as a milestone for the New Glenn vehicle and for lower cost, focused planetary science.
The New Glenn launch and the mission’s modest budget together show an alternative path to doing meaningful interplanetary science
Mission analyst, independent
Unconfirmed
- Whether proposed or potential budget cuts will definitively force decommissioning of MAVEN or other specific spacecraft has not been confirmed by an official NASA final decision.
- The practical effectiveness of the Lagrange point looping trajectory to enable flexible monthly launch windows for a full fleet of missions remains a projection rather than an established operational standard.
- Exact long term extrapolations about Mars becoming habitable again or direct analogs to Earth climate paths are model dependent and not settled by ESCAPADE alone.
Bottom Line
ESCAPADE is a targeted, low cost attempt to answer a central question in planetary science: how and why did Mars lose a once thicker atmosphere. By flying two small, coordinated spacecraft, the mission will provide a much richer observational geometry for measuring how solar wind and magnetospheric dynamics strip atmospheric gases. Results will sharpen understanding of planetary habitability and the specific role of magnetic protection in preserving atmospheres over geological time.
For Earth and future human explorers, the mission offers practical benefits. Improved forecasts of space weather effects, better models of atmospheric vulnerability, and data to inform radiation protection strategies for crews are immediate operational payoffs. Strategically, ESCAPADE also showcases alternative mission architectures and tighter budgets that may expand the rate and variety of planetary exploration in the years ahead.
Sources
- ABC News — news report summarizing mission details and interviews (media)
- NASA — official agency pages and mission announcements (official)
- UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory — academic lab leading mission science (academic)
- Blue Origin — New Glenn launch vehicle details (company)
- The Planetary Society — analysis and context on planetary missions (nonprofit research and advocacy)