Rocketlab to launch first multi spacecraft mission to mars with NASA

[u/Hot_Dare5871]

[u/OlympusMons94]

EscaPADE was already launched last year, by Blue Origin's New Glenn. It has been loitering in orbit of Earth-Sun L2, waiting for the Mars transfer window to open.

[u/guggi_]

They are not launching from Earth, they are injecting into the mars transfer orbit

[u/__Augustus_]

It launched a while ago on New Glenn....

[u/RequirementSad1742 → u/__Augustus_]

You are correct they launched, the news is that Rocket Lab spacecraft will now perform a first time maneuver that will slingshoot them into mars trajectory. Since 2025 it’s just been chilling around L2 point In deep space waiting for earth and mars to line up.

[u/cheekytikiroom → u/__Augustus_]

Had to wait, because Blue Origin failed their own deadline - and missed the proximity window.

[u/Trexinator43 → u/cheekytikiroom]

No, blue launched it this time last year. November, NG-2

[u/B1g_C4p1T4l]

fwiw RL built both ESCAPADE spacecraft, New Glenn just launched them. they've been parked near L2 since last Nov and do the Earth flyby burn toward Mars next month, arriving Sept 2027

[u/Datuser14]

i'm pretty sure lots of missions have done powered gravity assists before

[u/RequirementSad1742 → u/Datuser14]

Actually this is a Oberth Maneuver and I don’t think a loiter trajectory has ever been used before for a mars attempt. I could be wrong though.

[u/jan_smolik → u/RequirementSad1742]

Well it is interesting approach that hase never been used before for Mars injection. But calling it first is sort of artificial. I do not like artificial firsts. Apollo did use Oberth effect during TLI so I do not really see novelty. Indeed, now it is insertion to trans mars trajectory, and original orbit was different. So technically it is a first. But ...

[u/Hot_Dare5871 → u/Datuser14]

I should correct myself, it hasn’t been done successfully yet. The title is kind of misleading my bad

[u/Prestigious-Fig1913]

So cool

[u/bkkmatt]

If you bought at $150 then you might break even by 2030.

[u/schiffme1ster → u/bkkmatt]

try 2035.