Jeff Bezos’ plans to launch a pair of Blue Origin space probes to Mars next month have been scrapped by NASA.
The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) small spacecraft were set to launch on board New Glenn sometime between October 13 and 21. This also would have been the rocket’s inaugural flight.
But it appears that NASA isn’t convinced that New Glenn – Blue Origin’s partially reusable, heavy-lift rocket that’s slated to launch the probes – will be ready for liftoff by then.
Just over a month before the launch, NASA officials halted preparations for the $80 million mission ‘to avoid significant cost, schedule, and technical challenges’ associated with having to remove fuel from the EscaPADE spacecraft in the event of a launch delay.
Now, the mission won’t launch until Spring 2025 at the earliest, NASA said.
NASA has scrapped the October launch of their EscaPADE Mars mission over fears that Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket won’t be ready to launch by then
‘We’re supportive of NASA’s decision to target the EscaPADE mission for no earlier than spring 2025 and look forward to the flight,’ Blue Origin wrote in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Blue Origin has been developing its New Glenn rocket since 2013, and its first flight was originally scheduled for 2020. But the launch was delayed for several years largely due to the need for extensive engine testing and redesign.
In total, Blue Origin has spent at least $2.5 billion developing this rocket.
This year, it looked like New Glenn would finally get off the ground with the launch of the EscaPADE mission. But now, that mission has been scrapped until next at least spring.
But New Glenn could still fly before the year is out – just not with the EscaPADE space probes on board.
Blue Origin has rescheduled what would have been New Glenn’s second flight for November. Originally slated to launch in December, this mission will carry technology for the company’s Blue Ring orbital platform to space.
Blue Ring is the company’s new spacecraft platform designed to provide ‘in-space logistics and delivery,’ Blue Origin wrote in a statement.
Even if all goes well with that launch, New Glenn still won’t be ready to support the EscaPADE mission to Mars.
Jeff Bezos has spent at least $2.5 billion and over a decade developing his New Glenn rocket
The October launch of NASA’s EscaPADE mission would have been New Glenn’s first test flight. Now, Blue Origin hopes to launch the rocket on a different mission in November
EscaPADE will use two identical space probes, named Blue and Gold, to study interactions between solar wind and Mars’ magnetic environment and how these interactions drive the planet’s ‘atmospheric escape,’ or the loss of atmospheric gases to outer space.
‘This mission can help us study the atmosphere at Mars – key information as we explore farther and farther into our solar system and need to protect astronauts and spacecraft from space weather,’ said Nicky Fox, NASA Headquarters’ associate administrator for science, in a statement.
NASA has opted not to fuel the two EscaPADE spacecraft mainly because having to remove the fuel in the event of a launch delay would be expensive.
What’s more, this mission can only launch during a tight window of time where Earth and Mars are aligned.
‘This means that small schedule changes can result in months-long delays in launch,’ NASA said.
The mission team is currently analyzing larger launch windows, including an opportunity to launch EscaPADE in spring 2025.
‘This is an important mission for NASA, and it’s critical we have sufficient margin in our prelaunch work to ensure we are ready to fly a tight planetary window,’ said Bradley Smith, NASA Headquarters’ Launch Services Office director.
But even that revised launch date window seems too soon, as Earth and Mars only align about once every 26 months, according to NASA.
While the mission could be significantly delayed, it appears that this will be just a bump in the road for EscaPADE as NASA and Blue Origin work to get these space probes – and New Glenn – off the ground as soon as possible.
‘We’re committed to seeing EscaPADE safely into space, and I look forward to seeing it off the ground and on its trip to Mars,’ Fox said.
