NASA and Blue Origin have announced a delay in the launch of the ESCAPADE mission to Mars, pushing it back to at least spring 2025 ¹. The decision comes after missing a critical deadline to load hypergolic propellant on the two small ESCAPADE spacecraft and uncertainty about the readiness of the New Glenn rocket.
An Artist’s view of EscaPADE Spacecraft approaching Mars. Crerdit: Rocket Lab
The ESCAPADE mission, managed by the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, was initially scheduled to launch in mid-October. However, with the Mars launch window closing next month, NASA has decided to delay fueling the spacecraft until next spring.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin is preparing for the debut launch of the New Glenn rocket, which will carry a prototype of the Blue Ring transfer vehicle. The launch, targeted for November, will test the vehicle's electronics, avionics, and systems, serving as the first of three certification flights for New Glenn.
The delay in the ESCAPADE mission has raised questions about the launch window for Mars missions, which occurs every 18 to 24 months. However, NASA and Blue Origin are exploring
complex trajectories that could allow a payload launched in spring 2025 to reach Mars.
Blue Origin's first New Glenn rocket on the pad at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida during tests. Image credit: Blue Origin
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, developed by the company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, is a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle. The company is working towards getting New Glenn flying as soon as possible, with a sense of urgency expressed by CEO Dave Limp.
The development of New Glenn, a heavy-lift launch vehicle, began before 2013 and was formally announced in 2016. The rocket has a diameter of 7 meters and a height of 23 feet, and is composed of two stages. The first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, while the second stage is powered by a single vacuum-variant of the BE-4 (BE-4U).
New Glenn has undergone several tests, including wind tunnel testing and engine testing. The main assembly of the launch vehicle occurs in the Blue Origin rocket manufacturing facility in Florida, near Launch Complex 36 (LC-36). This facility has hosted over 100 launches and has been leased by Blue Origin since 2015.
Blue Origin will offer both single-payload dedicated flights and dual-manifesting of large communications satellites to be transported to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The company has already contracted with several customers, including Eutelsat, mu Space Corp, SKY Perfect JSAT, and OneWeb.
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