NASA prepares twin ESCAPADE probes to depart Earth orbit for Mars

Two identical NASA spacecraft are scheduled to leave their loiter orbit near Earth in early November for a 10-month cruise to Mars, Eos reported. The twin probes will study how the solar wind interacts with the magnetic field and atmosphere of Mars to learn how the planet lost its atmospheric gas and water early in its history. [1]

The mission, named Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, consists of two small probes called Blue and Gold. Eos reported that the probes were launched on 13 November 2025 and spent the past year in a loiter orbit near Earth before their planned September departure for Mars. [1]

ESCAPADE is part of NASA's Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration, or SIMPLEx, program, which aims to demonstrate low-cost planetary space exploration. The mission is led by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, with Dr. Robert Lillis serving as the principal investigator. The spacecraft will investigate the magnetosphere of Mars to examine how solar wind contributed to atmospheric loss over the history of the Solar System. [4]

The dual-spacecraft design allows simultaneous measurements at different locations around Mars to track dynamic solar wind interactions. The probes are scheduled to arrive at Mars in September to begin their science operations. [1]