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NASA's ESCAPADE Spacecraft Complete Earth Flyby Maneuvers
· Confirmed
In Short: NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft, Blue and Gold, have successfully completed their powered Earth flyby maneuvers, propelling them toward Mars.
ESCAPADE Earth flybys Mars: Both spacecraft complete powered departures. HeyDay News
NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft, Blue and Gold, have successfully completed their powered Earth flyby maneuvers, propelling them toward Mars. The maneuvers, executed on November 7 and 9, 2026, respectively, increased the spacecraft's speed by more than 1,000 miles per hour.
Asal Naseri, acting associate flight director for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, praised the mission's success, stating, "This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars, and we’ve now executed this maneuver twice, flawlessly, in just two days."
The ESCAPADE mission, launched in November 2025, initially aimed to launch in October 2024 but faced delays. Mission planners at Advanced Space LLC devised a "loitering" orbit, allowing the spacecraft to orbit back to Earth by early November 2026.
During the flybys, the spacecraft fired their engines, using the Oberth effect to maximize the performance of the maneuver. This method provides flexibility for launching almost anytime and using Earth's gravity to get a boost to Mars.
Rob Lillis, ESCAPADE’s principal investigator and associate director for planetary science at the Space Sciences Laboratory, expressed excitement about the mission's progress. "Our fantastic operations team put 110% into this critical maneuver, getting the spacecraft ready and watching like hawks for potential issues. We’re excited to now focus on our interplanetary journey. Onward, to Mars!"
The ESCAPADE spacecraft will be the first to fly in formation around Mars, providing unprecedented insights into the Martian environment. Science operations are expected to begin in June 2028.
By studying the Martian magnetosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind, ESCAPADE aims to uncover more about how Mars lost its ancient atmosphere. This mission will also help in planning and preparing for future human exploration of the Red Planet.
The ESCAPADE mission's unique approach, combining gravitational interaction with engine thrust, allowed for some bonus science, where the spacecraft flew through and observed Earth's magnetotail.
The spacecraft's formation flying will enable scientists to study the Martian environment from multiple vantage points simultaneously, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the planet's dynamics.
"This will be the first science mission to choreograph two orbiters around Mars, and the first time we will be able to make coordinated observations of the Martian environment from two different locations simultaneously," said ESCAPADE’s principal investigator, Rob Lillis of the University of California, Berkeley.
With these successful maneuvers complete, the twin spacecraft are on target to reach the Red Planet in September 2027.
What this adds
The spacecraft's powered Earth flyby maneuvers are a significant advancement in space exploration, allowing for more flexible launch windows and enhanced scientific observations.
The ESCAPADE mission's unique approach could pave the way for future missions to other planets, offering a more versatile and efficient method of propulsion.
Background
NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have completed powered Earth flyby maneuvers, setting them on course for Mars in 2027.
NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft, Blue and Gold, have successfully completed their powered Earth flyby maneuvers, propelling them toward Mars.
What's confirmed
- “This is the first time NASA has used a powered Earth flyby to propel a spacecraft toward Mars, and we’ve now executed this maneuver twice, flawlessly, in just two days,” said Asal Naseri, acting associate flight director for the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
- Science operations are expected to begin in June 2028.
- To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The two ESCAPADE spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Nov. 13, 2025, when Earth and Mars were on opposite sides of the Sun.
- “By better understanding how the solar wind affects the Martian environment, ESCAPADE’s findings could help us plan and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet,” said Michele Cash, ESCAPADE program scientist at NASA headquarters, in a NASA press release.
- Home » Science » NASA’s ESCAPADE Spacecraft Complete Unique Earth Flyby to Propel Towards Mars Twin NASA spacecraft, known as the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE), are nearing the end of a year-long journey, preparing to embark on a mission to Mars.
- The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) launched in November 2025 aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, during the vehicle’s second flight.
- Previous missions had examined the magnetotail at distances reaching nearly 800,000 miles (1.27 million kilometers) from Earth.
- EST on Nov. 9, when it was about 650 miles above the planet’s surface.
- “This will be the first science mission to choreograph two orbiters around Mars, and the first time we will be able to make coordinated observations of the Martian environment from two different locations simultaneously,” said ESCAPADE’s principal investigator, Rob Lillis of the University of California, Berkeley.
What's still developing
- This lovely poster shows the moon’s phase for every day in 2027.
- That’s what the illustration below is showing.
- Bottom line: The moon shows one phase to the Earth at the same time, but our different perspectives due to where we are on the globe can make the moon appear differently in our sky.
- It comes down to Earth’s rotation, and its round shape.
- EST on Nov. 7, when it was about 1,000 miles above the planet’s surface.
- 9), when it was about 650 miles (1,000 kilometers) above the surface.
- Following minor course adjustments, the ESCAPADE spacecraft are now projected to arrive at Mars in September 2027.
- EST came at an altitude of roughly 1,000 miles above Earth; Gold's approach on November 9 at approximately 5:51 a.m.
- During those nine minutes, each spacecraft's onboard engine pushed its speed from roughly 6.3 miles per second to approximately 6.7 miles per second: an increase of more than 1,000 miles per hour, from about Mach 30 to about Mach 31.
- A single spacecraft wouldn't be able to tell if changes it observes are due to changes in these interactions, or changes in its position.
- It tells us something about the search for life, and about Earth.
- Now available — EarthSky’s famous moon phase calendar!