Blue Origin Successfully Launches NASA's Twin Mars Probes Aboard New Glenn Rocket

Blue Origin successfully launched NASA's twin ESCAPADE probes aboard its New Glenn rocket on November 13, 2025, marking a significant milestone for the company and space exploration. The launch occurred at 3:55 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, following a series of delays due to weather and a solar storm that had the potential to impact the rocket's systems, as reported by Spaceflight Now. New Glenn's first stage, nicknamed 'Never Tell Me The Odds,' executed a successful landing on a recovery ship at sea, a first for this rocket, after launching with a thrust of 3.8 million pounds. This achievement aligns Blue Origin with SpaceX in the realm of reusable rocket technology, as noted by Space.com.

The ESCAPADE mission, which stands for Escape, Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, consists of two small satellites, Blue and Gold, designed to study how the solar wind interacts with the Martian atmosphere. According to NASA, the probes will investigate the impact of solar activity on Mars as part of a broader effort to understand how the planet transitioned from a warm, wet environment to its current dry state. Unlike previous Mars missions, ESCAPADE employs a novel trajectory that first takes the probes to a stable point known as Lagrange Point 2, located about a million miles from Earth. Here, the spacecraft will loiter for approximately 11 months, allowing them to gather data on space weather before making their way to Mars during the next optimal launch window in 2026, as reported by Space.com and NASA News.

This mission is notable for being the first dual-spacecraft mission to enter orbit around Mars and will allow scientists to study the solar wind's effects in real-time from different vantage points. The ESCAPADE mission will work in conjunction with existing Mars missions, providing a stereo view of the Martian atmosphere. Principal investigator Robert Lillis from UC Berkeley highlighted the importance of this capability, stating that having two spacecraft allows for simultaneous measurements of solar conditions and Martian atmospheric dynamics. This dual approach is unprecedented, paving the way for future missions to conduct coordinated studies of planetary atmospheres.

The mission cost was approximately $107.4 million, which is significantly lower compared to traditional Mars missions. This reduced cost is attributed to the innovative design and development of the probes by Rocket Lab under a NASA program aimed at facilitating lower-budget planetary explorations. The success of this launch not only illustrates Blue Origin's growing capabilities in the aerospace sector but also emphasizes the increasing collaboration between private companies and NASA in advancing space science. The operational success of New Glenn positions it as a strong competitor in the launch market, with plans to support various future missions and commercial endeavors, including launching Amazon's Project Kuiper satellite constellation.