Blue Origin is gearing up for its second-ever launch of the New Glenn rocket, set to carry NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars on September 29, 2025. The company has been working closely with NASA to prepare for this highly anticipated flight.
The ESCAPADE mission aims to study Mars’ magnetosphere and analyze how solar wind interacts with the Martian atmosphere. Two twin probes will be launched on New Glenn, providing crucial data to help scientists understand Mars’ unique space environment.
New Glenn’s launch is significant as it will be the first time the rocket has been tasked with launching a payload on an interplanetary mission. The company’s reusable rocket ambitions are also at stake, as this mission marks a substantial test for its technology.
The New Glenn rocket’s first stage booster will be recovered using a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean after the launch. This recovery operation is crucial to Blue Origin’s ongoing effort to create a fully reusable rocket system.
In addition to the ESCAPADE mission, New Glenn will carry a secondary payload from Viasat, a satellite communications company. The demonstration aims to advance space-based communication technologies for NASA’s future missions, including those involving the Moon and Mars.
The ESCAPADE mission is valued at $80 million and has been entrusted to the University of California’s Space Sciences Laboratory. With the NET (No Earlier Than) date officially set, excitement is mounting as New Glenn prepares for its interplanetary mission.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/08/blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-mars-probes