SCRUBBED: Blue Origin Scrubs Launch Mars Mission Aboard New Glenn Rocket from Cape Canaveral

Liftoff is targeted Sunday at 2:45 p.m. EST, within a 2.5-hour launch window

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FLORIDA — NASA is preparing to send a pair of small spacecraft on a journey to Mars this afternoon, marking a significant milestone for both the agency and Blue Origin.

The twin ESCAPADE probes — short for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers — are scheduled to launch Sunday, Nov. 9, atop Blue Origin’s massive New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff is targeted for 2:45 p.m. EST, within a 2.5-hour launch window.

The launch will be only the second for New Glenn, Blue Origin’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket designed for partial reusability. The flight will also mark the first time NASA has launched a Mars mission on a privately built rocket from Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.

Originally slated to fly in 2024, ESCAPADE’s launch was delayed as NASA adjusted its schedule to ensure the mission’s readiness and cost efficiency. The two nearly identical satellites, built by Rocket Lab, will study how solar wind and space weather interact with the Martian atmosphere — a key piece in understanding how Mars lost most of its air over time.

“This mission has been a long road, and I’m incredibly grateful to all the partners who made it possible,” said Robert Lillis, the mission’s principal investigator from the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, during a pre-launch briefing on Saturday.

The project represents a collaboration between UC Berkeley, Rocket Lab, and Blue Origin, with NASA providing funding and oversight. The mission’s total cost is under $80 million — relatively low by interplanetary standards.

The two spacecraft, affectionately named Blue and Gold after UC Berkeley’s school colors, will first travel to the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2 — a gravitationally stable region roughly 930,000 miles beyond Earth. There, they’ll spend about a year studying space weather while awaiting the optimal planetary alignment to begin their journey to Mars in late 2026.

That timing is crucial: Earth and Mars line up for efficient travel only once every 26 months. When the alignment arrives, the twin probes will swing past Earth for a gravity assist that will send them toward the Red Planet, a trip expected to take about 10 months.

Once they reach Mars, the spacecraft will gradually enter complementary orbits, allowing scientists to capture a three-dimensional view of the planet’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere. The data will help researchers understand how charged particles from the Sun strip away atmospheric gases — insights that could inform future crewed missions and deepen understanding of Mars’ climate history.

Each spacecraft is expected to operate for at least 11 months once in Mars orbit, following a seven-month orbital adjustment period.

For Blue Origin, the launch marks a critical test of its flagship rocket. Standing more than 320 feet tall, New Glenn is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and other heavy-lift vehicles, capable of carrying large payloads to Earth orbit and beyond.

If successful, Sunday’s launch will demonstrate New Glenn’s capability for interplanetary missions — a key step for Blue Origin as it seeks to expand its role in NASA’s commercial spaceflight portfolio.

As the countdown ticks toward liftoff, the mission represents not just a journey to Mars, but a new chapter in the partnership between public and private space exploration — where university scientists, commercial builders, and government agencies work together to reach beyond Earth.

Similar Stories