ESCAPADE will send two small probes, Blue and Gold, to Mars via an unconventional route that includes a year-long stay near the Sun–Earth L1 point before returning toward Earth and then heading to Mars. Led by UC Berkeley and built by Rocket Lab, the $80M SIMPLEx mission will map Mars' magnetic fields, upper atmosphere and ionosphere in 3D. The twin probes will fly minutes apart to capture cause-and-effect of space weather, improving forecasts and safety planning for future human missions; science operations begin June 2028.
NASA's Low-Cost Mars Mission: Twin Probes Take a Never-Before-Trialed Route
ESCAPADE will send two small probes, Blue and Gold, to Mars via an unconventional route that includes a year-long stay near the Sun–Earth L1 point before returning toward Earth and then heading to Mars. Led by UC Berkeley and built by Rocket Lab, the $80M SIMPLEx mission will map Mars' magnetic fields, upper atmosphere and ionosphere in 3D. The twin probes will fly minutes apart to capture cause-and-effect of space weather, improving forecasts and safety planning for future human missions; science operations begin June 2028.
04:20 AM, 11/12/2025Science
NASA's Quiet, Innovative Mars Mission
ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) is sending two compact spacecraft, nicknamed Blue and Gold, to Mars on a trajectory that has never been attempted before. Rather than launching on the conventional two-year transfer window, the twins will first travel to the Sun–Earth L1 region, linger for about a year, swing back toward Earth, and then set off for Mars. NASA says this flexible route could allow multiple launches over months instead of forcing missions into a narrow window.
Who built it and when
The mission is a milestone: it is the first planetary mission led by UC Berkeley, which built the scientific instruments and will operate the probes from its own control center. Rocket Lab manufactured the two spacecraft—each roughly the size of a stacked washer and dryer—and delivered both in 3.5 years for $57 million. The project is funded at $80 million through NASA’s SIMPLEx program. ESCAPADE was scheduled to launch Nov. 9, 2025, on Blue Origin’s New Glenn but was delayed by weather; the next launch window is Nov. 12, 2025.
Science goals and why they matter
ESCAPADE will map Mars' magnetic fields, upper atmosphere, and ionosphere in three dimensions. Because Mars lacks a global magnetic shield like Earth’s, the planet's atmosphere and ionosphere are vulnerable to solar storms. By flying two probes in nearly identical orbits only minutes apart, scientists can observe both the causes and effects of space weather in near real time, track how charged particles escape into space, and refine models that affect communications and navigation—crucial knowledge for future human missions.
Timeline and operations
The transit along this new route is expected to take about 22 months, followed by roughly nine months of orbital adjustments. Primary science operations are planned to begin in June 2028. Rocket Lab teams are currently preparing Blue and Gold at the Florida launch site ahead of the upcoming launch window.
Cost-efficient, ambitious, and led by a university team, ESCAPADE demonstrates a new model for planetary exploration that could reduce costs and increase launch flexibility for future missions to Mars.