NASA and Blue Origin are inviting journalists to cover the launch of ESCAPADE, a pair of spacecraft heading to Mars to study how the sun strips away the planet's atmosphere in real time.
The mission marks the second flight of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, a heavy-lift vehicle designed to compete with SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. ESCAPADE itself is smaller and more focused: two identical orbiters will measure the solar wind's interaction with Mars, essentially watching space weather reshape a world in slow motion.
Why this matters becomes clearer when you think about Mars's history. Billions of years ago, the planet had a thicker atmosphere and likely liquid water on its surface. Today it's a thin-aired desert. Understanding how the sun's constant bombardment of charged particles erodes planetary atmospheres isn't just Mars trivia — it's foundational to understanding why some worlds keep their air and others don't. That knowledge shapes how we think about habitability, past and future.
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Start Your News DetoxThe mission is led by UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, with Rocket Lab building the spacecraft. NASA's Launch Services Program secured the ride through a newer contracting approach called VADR (Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare), designed to make space access more flexible and cost-effective.
Blue Origin is targeting a launch window in late fall 2024 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Accredited media will have access to prelaunch events and the launch itself, though the specific date and schedule will be announced closer to flight.
If you're a journalist interested in covering this, U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international outlets need to apply for credentials by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, October 13. Those who previously applied for ESCAPADE coverage don't need to reapply. Submit requests at https://media.ksc.nasa.gov.
NASA will post updates on launch preparations on the ESCAPADE blog, and more details about the media event schedule will come once a specific launch date is confirmed.
