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NASA awards Mars mission launch to Blue Origin
File illustration depicting a concept for a lunar lander to be supplied by Blue Origin.
NASA awards Mars mission launch to Blue Origin
by Patrick Hilsman
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 10, 2023

NASA has commissioned private space launch company Blue Origin, to launch a mission to study the magnetosphere of Mars.

The Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers mission, known as ESCAPADE, is planned to launch in late 2024 on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Blue Origin is among 13 companies selected for contracts under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare launch services program, with a maximum total of $300 million over five years.

The private spaceflight company that was founded by Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos.

The mission "will study Mars' magnetosphere -- the magnetized area of space around the planet -- using two identical small spacecraft, which will provide simultaneous two-point observations," NASA said in a news release.

"ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft Class D mission that will study solar wind energy transfer through Mars' unique hybrid magnetosphere," Blue Origin said in a news release Thursday.

"ESCAPADE follows a long tradition of NASA Mars science and exploration missions, and we're thrilled NASA's Launch Services Program has selected New Glenn to to launch the instruments that will study Mars' magnetosphere," said Blue Origin CEO Jarret Jones.

The mission will take 11 months to reach Mars, and the two spacecraft will subsequently require several months to adjust orbits to begin studying the planet's magnetosphere, NASA said.

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Blue Origin, LLC of Kent, Washington, has been contracted by NASA to launch the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission through their Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program. Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, thus far, has only conducted suborbital flights using its New Shepard rocket, known for sending celebrities and space tourists to the edge of space, most notably, Star Trek's "Captain Kirk", actor William Shatner. This will ... read more

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