Key Takeaways:
- 1. ESCAPADE mission was developed and launched on a budget of $80 million by Rocket Lab for NASA.
- 2. NASA paid Blue Origin $20 million for the launch, opting for the unproven New Glenn rocket.
- 3. The mission, delayed by Blue Origin, will see the ESCAPADE satellites reach Mars in 2027 for a science mission in 2028.
The ESCAPADE mission, managed by the University of California, Berkeley for NASA, was built by Rocket Lab on a budget of $80 million. Blue Origin was paid $20 million for the launch on their New Glenn rocket, with a delayed launch due to readiness issues. The mission aims to study Mars' past and present to prepare for future human missions, with the spacecraft set to reach Mars in 2027 for a science mission in 2028.
Insight: The ESCAPADE mission, despite delays and risks associated with using the New Glenn rocket, is a cost-effective initiative to advance understanding of Mars and prepare for future manned missions.
This article was curated by memoment.jp from the feed source: Ars Technica.
Read the original article here: https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/11/blue-origin-caps-second-heavy-lift-launch-with-first-offshore-landing/
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