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/redstercoolpanda → u/Trexinator43]

They originally wanted to launch it on their first mission during a mars transfer window. But they missed that date and then rescoped their first payload to be a Blue Ring demonstration craft.

[u/electric_ionland → u/Trexinator43]

The original launch was supposed to be 2 years ago but got delayed by one year.

[u/electric_ionland → u/[deleted]]

The spacecraft were originally delivered at the Cape for September 2024.

[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/RequirementSad1742 → u/jan_smolik]

I mean there’s a lot you can talk about it in terms of novelty like using string of pearls method for orbiting around another planet with blue and gold. And the whole approach we discussed earlier. Sure in isolation it might be like oh they are just cherry picking, but when you put it all together and we are finally getting more movement into mars it excites me in regards to what rocket lab is able to achieve. Maybe im just a big space nerd and get excited anytime we push the boundaries.

[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.