"This first-of-its-kind unmanned mission - Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE - could launch as early as this Sunday, sending twin satellites to Mars that together will offer the clearest picture yet of the shifting Martian atmosphere and magnetic field. If it succeeds, it could reveal mysteries about how Mars became the red wasteland that we see today, and may help us send humans to safely explore our planetary neighbor. It also pioneers a new path to Mars and a cheaper - if riskier - model for space exploration."
"The NASA-funded mission has been nearly a decade in the making, and recruits a team of scientists from around the globe, led by UC Berkeley. After years of planning, the twin satellites could launch in a Blue Origin rocket as early as November 9 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellites will then hang in a loping orbit around the Earth until they use our planet's gravity to slingshot towards Mars in 2026, hurtling through interplanetary space until they arrive in late 2027."
"Once they arrive, the twin satellites - named Blue and Gold after UC Berkeley's school colors - will orbit in formation around Mars, zipping one after the other and taking in reams of measurements about the Red Planet's atmosphere and magnetic field. While previous satellite missions have taken some similar measurements, none have orchestrated"
Twin satellites named Blue and Gold will launch on a Blue Origin rocket and use an Earth gravity assist to travel to Mars, arriving in late 2027. ESCAPADE will take coordinated, in-formation measurements of the Martian atmosphere and magnetic field to clarify how space weather drives atmospheric loss and how Mars transformed into a barren environment. The mission is led by UC Berkeley with an international team and represents nearly a decade of planning. The approach aims to provide new scientific insights and demonstrates a lower-cost, higher-risk model for Mars exploration.
Read at The Mercury News
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