NASA is no longer launching the ESCAPADE mission to Mars this year. The agency announced that it is letting go of the launch opportunity in October as Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket might not be ready to take off in its inaugural flight.
The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers or ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft mission to explore the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere. With October is not an option anymore, the next opportunity is Spring 2025.
In a statement, NASA said that the decision was made to avoid challenges and cost associated with draining fuel from the two orbiters in case the mission was delayed in October. The probes will be fuelled with hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide to be used during the course of their mission.
NASA's ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission is now targeting a launch in 2025. ESCAPADE's two satellites will investigate how solar wind interacts with the magnetic environment of Mars. Learn more: https://t.co/eIoFQ0BbPO pic.twitter.com/kHtbIaxOKz — NASA (@NASA) September 6, 2024