Washington: NASA has announced the postponement of its upcoming Mars science mission, ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers), which was originally scheduled to launch on October 13. The mission, using two identical spacecraft, aims to study the interaction between solar wind and Mars' magnetic environment, and how this affects the planet's atmospheric escape.
The decision was made to prevent cost, schedule, and technical challenges that could arise from a potential launch delay. Factors such as the alignment between Earth and Mars limit launch windows, meaning that even minor schedule shifts could result in long delays.
NASA and its partner, Blue Origin, are now considering a new launch opportunity no earlier than spring 2025. The mission was set to launch aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
