Blue Origin’s New Glenn could launch NASA’s twin ESCAPADE satellites to Mars as soon as Sunday, with an FAA-listed launch window from 2:45 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. ET and a Monday backup. The ESCAPADE mission will study how Mars’ magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind—data vital for predicting space weather and planning future human and robotic exploration. Blue Origin has not yet confirmed the attempt, and the company also plans a barge landing attempt for the first-stage booster.
Ready for Mars: Blue Origin’s New Glenn Could Launch NASA’s Twin ESCAPADE Satellites Sunday
Blue Origin’s New Glenn could launch NASA’s twin ESCAPADE satellites to Mars as soon as Sunday, with an FAA-listed launch window from 2:45 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. ET and a Monday backup. The ESCAPADE mission will study how Mars’ magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind—data vital for predicting space weather and planning future human and robotic exploration. Blue Origin has not yet confirmed the attempt, and the company also plans a barge landing attempt for the first-stage booster.
06:35, 05.11.2025Science
Blue Origin’s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket could lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as soon as Sunday, carrying NASA’s twin ESCAPADE satellites bound for Mars.
The mission — ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) — will study how Mars’s magnetic environment interacts with the solar wind. That data is essential for understanding atmospheric loss, the Martian radiation environment and for planning future human and robotic exploration.
An advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration lists a launch window on Sunday from 2:45 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity on Monday. Blue Origin has not yet issued official confirmation of the attempt.
The flight will also include a high-profile booster recovery attempt: Blue Origin plans to try landing New Glenn’s first-stage booster on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ken Kremer of Space UpClose called the launch "a critical step for future lunar missions" and cautioned, "This cannot fail."
NASA and mission partners say ESCAPADE’s measurements will improve models of Mars’ space weather and plasma environment, helping to protect future missions and refine designs for spacecraft and habitats exposed to the Martian environment.