NASA Pulls ESCAPADE Mission from Blue Origin’s First New Glenn Launch
Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicle rolled out and upended for the first time in February 2024 to undergo a series of tanking and mechanical system tests. Photo: Blue Origin
NASA’s ESCAPADE mission will no longer be the customer on Blue Origin’s first New Glenn launch.
NASA announced Sept. 6 that it is standing down from an October launch window for New Glenn’s first launch. The agency and Blue Origin are now discussing a launch in spring 2025 at the earliest.
Instead, Blue Origin will move up the second flight, which was planned for December, to November. The first New Glenn launch will carry the Blue Origin-built space logistics vehicle Blue Ring. It will also serve as the first National Security Space Launch certification flight for U.S. national security missions.
Blue Origin said in a Sept. 6 statement that it is supportive of NASA’s decision to push the mission.
NASA said the decision was based on discussions with Blue Origin, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Space Launch Delta 45 Range Safety Organization, and NASA’s Launch Services Program and Science Mission Directorate.
The agency said “the decision was made to avoid significant cost, schedule, and technical challenges associated with potentially removing fuel from the spacecraft in the event of a launch delay, which could be caused by a number of factors.”
The two ESCAPADE — Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers — spacecraft, designed by Rocket Lab, will be headed to Mars’ orbit. Due to the alignment of Earth and Mars, NASA said that small schedule changes can result in months-long delays in launch.
“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’s Launch Services Office director at NASA Headquarters.
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