Blue Origin is poised to launch NASA’s Mars-bound ESCAPADE mission on November 9, 2025. This mission will see the launch of two satellites, named *Blue* and *Gold*, along with a communications demonstration payload for Viasat. The launch is scheduled to lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, utilizing Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which stands at an impressive 321 feet (98 meters) tall.
The rocket is set to depart during an 88-minute launch window that opens at 2:45 p.m. EST (1945 UTC). Blue Origin’s second New Glenn mission, designated *New Glenn 2*, will follow a south-easterly trajectory after takeoff from Launch Complex 36. Live coverage of the event will be provided by Spaceflight Now, beginning two hours before the scheduled launch.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron, there is a 65 percent chance of favorable weather at the start of the launch window, which is expected to decrease to 55 percent as the launch time approaches. Meteorologists have highlighted potential issues with cumulus clouds, lightning, and anvil clouds, particularly with a cold front moving into the area.
Blue Origin plans to land the first stage of the rocket, named *Never Tell Me the Odds*, on its autonomous barge, Jacklyn. The booster will switch from using three BE-4 engines to a single engine for the final landing phase. Should recovery efforts succeed, Blue Origin intends to reuse this booster for a subsequent flight. CEO Dave Limp expressed confidence in the company’s future capabilities, stating that additional New Glenn boosters are already in production.
The ESCAPADE mission marks a significant milestone for the New Glenn rocket as it will be the first to carry customer payloads into orbit. Both ESCAPADE spacecraft were encapsulated within the rocket’s 7-meter payload fairings on October 31, 2025. After launch, the BE-3U engines on the rocket’s upper stage will perform two burns before the twin satellites deploy approximately 33 minutes post-liftoff.
The mission has been coordinated by NASA’s Launch Services Program, which operates from the Kennedy Space Center. The launch falls under NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract, which holds a maximum total value of $300 million over five years. The launch was initially slated for late 2024 but was rescheduled due to delays in the New Glenn rocket’s readiness.
NASA’s ESCAPADE mission is led by the Goddard Space Flight Center in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, along with Rocket Lab, Advanced Space, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Northern Arizona University. This mission aims to explore Mars’ magnetosphere and understand how it is affected by space weather. The findings are expected to provide insights into Mars’ climatic history and the loss of its atmosphere.
Joseph Westlake, NASA Heliophysics Director, expressed enthusiasm for the mission, stating, “We are really excited to see Heliophysics’ first mission to Mars and deliver space weather information that will be crucial as humanity expands into the cosmos.”
Initially proposed as the Mars Ion and Sputtering Escape Network (MISEN) in October 2016, the mission evolved into the ESCAPADE initiative by July 2018. In June 2019, NASA selected ESCAPADE as a finalist for its Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, which encourages missions with a higher risk tolerance and shorter timelines.
Rocket Lab successfully assembled the twin spacecraft in just three and a half years, a notably shorter period compared to typical Mars missions, which often take a decade or more. The spacecraft, built on Rocket Lab’s Explorer satellite bus, boasts significant capabilities with a high mass fraction of nearly 70 percent fuel, making them suitable for extensive delta-V missions.
After spending approximately one year in Earth orbit, the ESCAPADE spacecraft will embark on a 10-month journey to Mars, with the Mars orbit insertion burn anticipated in September 2027. The scientific mission will officially commence in June 2028 and is expected to continue until May 2029, paving the way for further understanding of the Red Planet’s environment.
Blue Origin’s upcoming launch represents a significant step forward in space exploration, with the ESCAPADE mission set to contribute invaluable knowledge about Mars.