Poor Mars. After a warm, wet childhood, the planet dried out and became cold and arid. And why? Mostly because it lost most of its atmosphere, scraped away by solar radiation. NASA's Maven mission studied the phenomenon of atmospheric loss for years, but has now gone silent. Enter Mars ESCAPADE—the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers—twin orbiters that will study the loss of Martian atmosphere more closely than ever before. The mission has been executed at a budget price. was largely built by industry upstart Rocket Lab, and launched on a New Glenn rocket. It will arrive at Mars in 2028, but we're giving you an early look at why it's an important and, frankly, very cool mission.
Headlines:
SpaceX Unveils Starship V3 Launch Plans
NASA Details Artemis 3 Earth Orbit Mission Updates
Psyche Probe Performs Mars Gravity Assist for Asteroid Mission
Main Topic: ESCAPADE Mars Mission—Twin Satellites to Study Atmospheric Loss
Introducing ESCAPADE: Twin Orbiters for Studying Mars' Upper Atmosphere
Explaining Why Mars Loses Its Atmosphere and Comparative Planetology
Stereo Measurements: Scientific Advantages of Two Orbiters Over One
How ESCAPADE's Orbits and Science Campaigns Are Structured
Rocket Lab and Commercial Partnerships Expand Mission Flexibility
Unique Launch Timing and Innovations in Trajectory Planning
Early Data from ESCAPADE's Mission and Earth's Magnetotail
Onboard Cameras to Capture Mars Auroras and Possibly Earth-Moon Portraits
Extended Mission Possibilities and Future Science Goals
The Role of Space Weather and Mars' Magnetic Field in Atmospheric Loss
Implications for Future Mars Missions, Technology, and Human Exploration
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Dr. Robert Lillis
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