ESCAPADE (NASA)

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft will study how the solar wind strips Mars' atmosphere, after an Earth slingshot in fall 2026.

The Five W's of ESCAPADE

Who

NASA, with the mission led by UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

What

Twin orbiters studying Mars' magnetosphere and atmospheric escape.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

When

Launched November 13, 2025; Earth slingshot toward Mars in fall 2026.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

Where

Mars orbit.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

Why

To understand how Mars lost its atmosphere and climate.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

Impact Statement

Agency solution · active

NASA's ESCAPADE launched on November 13, 2025: two identical spacecraft that will orbit Mars and study how the solar wind interacts with its hybrid magnetosphere and drives atmospheric escape. After a loiter orbit near Earth's Lagrange point 2, they use Earth's gravity in fall 2026 to slingshot toward Mars. The goal is to understand how Mars lost its once-thick atmosphere, one that may have supported liquid water.

Source: NASA, ESCAPADE

Mars shows what happens to a planet that loses its protection; Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere are shields worth understanding.

For Further Information: NASA, ESCAPADE