Blue Origin successfully launched its massive New Glenn rocket carrying two NASA spacecraft destined for Mars. This mission also marked the first successful recovery of the rocket's booster after its separation from the upper stage and the Mars orbiters. The launch, which had been postponed due to weather and solar storms, finally occurred from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The New Glenn rocket deployed the twin Mars orbiters, named Escapade, into space. These orbiters will spend a year near Earth before using a gravity assist to travel to Mars, arriving in 2027. Their mission is to map Mars' upper atmosphere and magnetic fields, studying their interaction with the solar wind to understand atmospheric escape and protect future astronauts from radiation.
This flight was only the second for Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The company managed to recover the booster by landing it upright on an offshore barge, a crucial step towards cost reduction through reusability, similar to SpaceX's operations. NASA's decision to utilize this early flight for the Escapade mission was a cost-saving measure, as the ideal launch window for the orbiters had been missed due to anticipated delays with the new rocket. Blue Origin also has future plans involving New Glenn, including launching a lunar lander and a potential role in NASA's Artemis program for lunar landings.
